Sebastiano Vernazza, an Italian journalist, has explained why Napoli should not lower their asking price for Nigeria international Victor Osimhen amid reports that the striker will leave the club in the summer.
Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis is said to have set a €180 million price tag for Osimhen, and Gazzetta notes that it’s a ‘legitimate’ request given Saudi Arabia’s PIF investments in football, including the purchase of Sandro Tonali.
Osimhen was named Serie A’s Capocannoniere in 2022/23 after scoring 26 goals in 32 appearances and helping Napoli win their first Scudetto in 33 years.
Napoli wants to extend his contract, but many top European clubs, including Liverpool and Bayern Munich, are interested in the Nigeria international, according to Gazzetta.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Liverpool is one of several clubs interested in signing Osimhen this summer, with the Reds potentially making an offer in the coming days.
Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain have also been linked with the Nigeria international, who is thought to be worth around £130 million to his Italian club.
Vernazza wrote on Wednesday that Napoli’s request is ‘legitimate’ in light of the massive investments made by Saudi Arabia’s PIF, which owns Newcastle United and the Saudi Pro League.
They will pay €80m for Tonali and give €200m per season to Cristiano Ronaldo, while shouldn’t Osimhen be worth €180m? asked Vernazza.
The journalist noted that the Saudi ‘bubble will explode sooner or later,’ but it is legitimate that ADL keeps Osimhen’s price tag high in the meantime, especially since the Partenopei are not in financial distress and are not in a hurry to sell.
Perhaps someone will pay that fee, Vernazza concluded, “choosing among Arabia, Real Madrid, PSG, and Premier League clubs” with the financial clout to meet ADL’s demands.
