Napoli send message to Chelsea over January transfer deal for Victor Osimhen

Napoli director Mauro Meluso has confirmed that Victor Osimhen is free to leave the club for the right price in January.

Osimhen made it clear he wished to move on from Napoli at the end of last season and the striker’s future was the subject of intense speculation throughout the summer, with Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Ahli linked.

Chelsea even sent a delegation to Naples with a view to striking an agreement for the 25-year-old, only for the proposed switch to collapse before the transfer deadline.

Osimhen went on to join Galatasaray on loan and the forward has hit the ground running in Turkey, racking up two goals and two assists in his first three appearances in the Super Lig.

However, reports in Italy indicate that Osimhen could be on the move again this winter and the Nigeria international remains ‘very interested’ and ‘considering’ a switch to Chelsea.

Osimhen’s €130million (£109m) release clause ceased to be active when he completed a temporary move to Galatasaray and the prolific attacker will be available for just €81m (£68m) when the January transfer window opens for business.

‘He no longer wanted to be part of the first-team,’ Napoli director Meluso said during the Palermo Football Conference this week.

‘He had received an important offer even before I arrived at Napoli, but [Napoli chairman] Aurelio De Laurentiis didn’t consider it because he thought about the club’s good.

‘He may have made wrong decisions but did them to keep Napoli competitive.’

Before joining Galatasaray on loan, Osimhen signed a contract extension with Napoli until 2027, with the Serie A club keen to protect the value of their asset.

If Chelsea were to trigger Osimhen’s £68m buyout clause, a fee of £63m would go to Napoli and Galatasaray would receive the remaining £5m.

According to Meluso, it was a ‘last-minute solution’ for Osimhen to join Galatasaray on loan.

‘It was a last-minute solution so he would not lose the first three months of the season,’ he added.

‘We will see in January.’

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