Premier League giants Arsenal have reportedly dropped their interest in Napoli striker Victor Osimhen due to his €130m price tag.
After four successful seasons at Napoli, Osimhen is expected to leave the 2022/23 Serie A champions this summer, as confirmed by club president Aurelio de Laurentiis.
The Partenopei have made significant efforts to retain the Nigeria international, agreeing to a new contract with their star striker last December.
However, his contract only runs until the summer of 2026 and includes a release clause worth around €130m (£110.6m). De Laurentiis has accepted that the former Lille player is likely to move to one of Europe’s financial powerhouses ahead of the 2024/25 season.
Arsenal had been one of several clubs linked with Osimhen, along with Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, and Real Madrid. However, Real Madrid is not expected to make an approach due to the recent acquisition of Kylian Mbappe.
Additionally, it has been reported that new Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca is not in favor of signing the 25-year-old, as he does not believe Osimhen fits his requirement for a striker who can link play and drop deep.
As a result, a two-way battle could have emerged between PSG and Arsenal. Arsenal were reportedly informed that a part-exchange deal involving Emile Smith Rowe and Takehiro Tomiyasu might facilitate an agreement.
However, according to Sky Italia, Arsenal have informed Napoli that they will not meet the £110.6m asking price, especially after breaking their own transfer record with the £105m acquisition of Declan Rice last year.
While Arsenal still rate Osimhen highly, they cannot justify spending a nine-figure sum. This sentiment is shared by most of Osimhen’s other potential suitors, which may force De Laurentiis to reconsider demanding the full release clause.
The Napoli president is now under added pressure to accept a lower fee for Osimhen due to the arrival of Antonio Conte, who aims to bring Chelsea’s Romelu Lukaku to the club as one of his first actions as head coach.
PSG are now considered the frontrunners for Osimhen’s signature, as the former Lille player is not interested in moving to Saudi Arabia. The French champions will also save €200m (£170.1m) in annual wages following Mbappe’s departure.
Osimhen topped the Serie A scoring charts in the 2022/23 season with 26 goals and scored 15 times in the 2023/24 season, despite missing a significant portion of the season due to injuries and the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.