Lille Metropole of France striker, Victor Osimhen is edging closer to a long-awaited €85m summer transfer to AS Napoli of Italy, as the Super Eagles’ youngster and his agent landed in the city of Naples late Tuesday to commence final talks on what is expected to be a five-year deal, megasportsarea.com reports.
Although the player and his minders have repeatedly denied that he is moving to Napoli, and even went as far as labeling all reports about a deal with the Italian Serie A outfit as ‘face news,’ Osimhen is set to sign a three-year deal with Diego Maradona’s former club.
A report by Het Nieuwsblad revealed that Osimhen was led into Naples by highly respected and vastly popular Belgian agent, Didier Frenay, in reaction to a recent report that Napoli renewed their interest in the player and eventually agreed to terms that scuttled earlier talks, after their coach, Gennaro Gatusso stressed that the fiery lad is his top target to replace Arkadiusk Milik.
All this comes less than two days after Osimhen was named best African player in the French Ligue 1, where the Chile 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup top scorer and ex-VfL Wolfsburg of Germany kid scored 13 goals in first ever season, following his arrival from Sporting Charleroi of Belgium last summer.
Another media outlet, TMW added that Osimhen is bound to become the costliest Nigerian transfer ever, after he and his representatives flew to Italy on private jet, following Napoli’s capitulation on a reduced fee there were willing to pay for the fast-rising star’s transfer, and the club’s director, Cristiano Giuntoli is now eager to seal an agreement this week.
Giuntoli has called for early talks in order to ward off competition, which got twice as intense after the lad won the Ligue 1 award on Monday, thereby further exciting the like of Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United of England, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Sevilla and Valencia of Italy as well as Juventus, Inter Milan and AC Milan of Italy.
An additional report by Calcio Napoli 1926 further revealed that Algeria’s 2019 Africa Cup of Nations winner, Adam Ounas could be used as makeweight in the proposed deal that will see Osimhen officially join Napoli this week, while the North African replaces him at Lille.
French Italian football transfer expert, Manu Lonjon also revealed that Napoli are planning a double swoop on Lille for Osimhen and the Ligue 1 club’s versatile defender, Gabriel; with the total package for both players believed to be around €100m.
However, while Gabriel is ready to accept a €30m, Osimhen’s representatives still want €85m for the Ultimate Strikers Football Academy of Lagos product, even as Napoli earlier stuck to their guns on paying nothing more than €70m, which may eventually be the point of concession.
Lille, though, would prefer the higher valuation for the in-form lad, because his immediate past club, Charleroi will get a cut from the eventual transfer fee agreed between Osimhen’s agents and Napoli, having inserted a 15% sell-on clause in the terms of his departure last summer.
