Chelsea and Arsenal’s £113m Striker News: Latest Transfer Developments

Arsenal and Chelsea are both rumored to be keen on signing Nigerian international Victor Osimhen, who is expected to leave Napoli this summer.

Arsenal may have received a significant boost in their pursuit of the Napoli superstar. Mikel Arteta is looking for a top striker to strengthen his squad as they aim for the Premier League title next season.

Chelsea is also in the mix for Osimhen, who helped Napoli win the Serie A title two seasons ago. Despite Antonio Conte taking over as Napoli’s manager, it seems Osimhen is still set to leave. Conte, formerly of Chelsea and Tottenham, acknowledged that Osimhen’s situation is unique compared to other sought-after Napoli players like Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, and Stanislav Lobotka.

During his first press conference as Napoli’s new head coach, Conte mentioned that there’s an agreement for Osimhen to move on. Osimhen signed a three-year contract extension with Napoli in December, which reportedly includes a hefty release clause of £113 million.

Conte commented, “I am aware of the Osimhen situation, just as I know about the situations of Kvara, Di Lorenzo, Anguissa, and Lobotka, who I had absolute veto over. Osimhen’s case is different. There are agreements in place for his departure. He’s a top player, but I can’t discuss these previous agreements.”

Napoli might replace Osimhen with Romelu Lukaku, who Chelsea is looking to sell for around £38 million. Lukaku had successful loan spells with Inter Milan and Roma and has previously flourished under Conte at Inter.

Conte expressed his admiration for Lukaku, saying, “Romelu Lukaku is a strong player, just like Osimhen. You have to admire such players when they’re on the field and always hope to have them on your team rather than against you.