Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis has identified Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) as the sole club capable of affording Victor Osimhen, amid reported interest from Chelsea and Manchester United, News About Nigeria reports.
Laurentiis argues that both English teams cannot meet the €200 million (£170m) valuation set by PSG’s owner for the Nigerian forward.
Manchester United’s budget is reportedly constrained after securing the signing of Mason Mount for £55 million, while Andre Onana is on the verge of joining for £50 million.
Meanwhile, Chelsea has already bolstered their attacking line with the acquisitions of Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson and is currently more focused on offloading players rather than making new signings.
Despite the Premier League clubs’ desperation to acquire a prolific goalscorer for the upcoming season, there are few better options in Europe than Osimhen, who is currently in his prime.
However, De Laurentiis has firmly closed the door on both English teams, stating, “The only club that could afford Victor Osimhen is Paris Saint-Germain.”
He added, “If Nasser Al Khelaifi [PSG president] wants to submit a bid around €200 million (£170m), we will wait and see what happens,” while expressing his belief that Osimhen will remain at Napoli. “I personally think that Victor will stay here.”
In the meantime, PSG may have to spend significant amounts to strengthen their attacking options this summer, especially after the departure of Lionel Messi, while Kylian Mbappe and Neymar could also leave before the start of the new season.
Given his age of 24, Osimhen is likely to be the preferred choice for the French club, as he still has ample time to further develop into a highly dangerous forward.
