Aurelio de Laurentiis has insisted that Victor Osimhen will not leave Napoli unless the Italian outfit receives an 'obscene offer'. The 24-year-old striker has been heavily linked with a move to Chelsea as Mauricio Pochettino looks to further bolster his attacking options this summer.
He featured 32 times in a title-winning Serie A campaign last season, netting 26 times. While Napoli are, understandably, desperate to hold onto the Nigeria international, football.london understands that the Blues have not been put off by their stubborn stance.
Chelsea have struggled to truly replace Didier Drogba, with only Diego Costa or Olivier Giroud coming close to fulfilling the target man role at Stamford Bridge. Alvaro Morata, Timo Werner and Kai Havertz have been trialled in previous years, but neither have enjoyed a slice of the Ivorian's success.
It's believed that The west Londoners view Osimhen as somebody who can transform the club's misfortunes in front of goal but they're aware that, without Champions League qualification, any bid to sign him could prove difficult. With Chelsea said to be joined by numerous top clubs in the race to sign the £128million-rated Nigerian, the Napoli president has issued a hands-off warning.
"We will see Victor Osimhen wearing our shirt next season, that's for sure," said de Laurentiis. "If a more than obscene offer arrives, we will move on and find another top talent, just like we did with [Khvicha] Kvaratskhelia and Osimhen."
Following a clash with Bologna in May, Luciano Spalletti was quizzed on the striker's future by DAZN. As quoted by Football Italia, the former Napoli boss said: "When players start working in a certain way, you identify their characteristics and find paths to give them service.
"Osimhen is good in open spaces, in the air, with the ball passed to his feet. He will have an important future, no matter what team he plays in, and is above all a good lad too.
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"His teammates love him, he helps them out and resolves situations rather than complains. He will become even more of a top player in future."
