Mauricio Pochettino has been given some hope of signing Victor Osimhen for Chelsea from Napoli this summer. The Nigeria international was integral in Napoli's Scudetto-winning season scoring 26 goals in Serie A with a further five coming in different competitions which in turn has made him a wanted man across Europe.
Alongside interest from the Blues, Bayern Munich are keeping tabs on the 24-year-old, but his lofty valuation looks likely to prevent an exit. According to Il Mattino, Napoli have slapped a £150million price tag on Osimhen in an effort to deter interest in his signature and keep hold of him for another season.
The departure of manager Luciano Spalletti could have impacted Osimhen's thoughts regarding a move away from Italy, however no such indication is thus far evident.
However, a slight boost for Chelsea did emerge last week with Il Matino claiming Osimhen was refusing to sign a new deal. The report also went on to state that Roberto Calenda, his agent, recently held a meeting with the club's owner Aurelio De Laurentiis over his future.
However, it seems that De Laurentiis himself has squashed any talk of that with a major contract announcement. As quoted by Calcio Mercato, he said: “We have an agreement in principle to extend the contract for another two years."
Despite his contract claim, Chelsea have been given some hope of an eventual transfer. He added: "I've said for some time that Osimhen must stay, but if an indispensable offer arrives for the health of Napoli we will evaluate."
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A contract extension would likely make any immediate transfer challenging, but as De Laurentiis referenced there is some hope of a deal being struck. Signing a striker was a priority for the Blues this summer and they are on the verge of hitting that goal as Nicolas Jackson looks set to join the club from Villareal.
Interest around Inter's Lautaro Martinez has also stepped up in recent days with Pochettino a keen admirer of the Argentine. The Champions League runners-up do not want to lose their star striker though and have set a price tag near £70million on his shoulders.
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