Newcastle United are reportedly plotting a fresh move for Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, who is not interested in a move to a club not playing in the Champions League.
According to the print edition of Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport, as relayed by CalcioNapoli24, Newcastle United could go back for Napoli hitman Victor Osimhen with a fresh bid. The Magpies plan to tempt the Nigerian international with lucrative terms, despite the player’s unwillingness to move to a club outside of the UEFA Champions League.
As the Napoli striker continues to draw a big summer battle for his signature, Newcastle United continue to be named as one of the main candidates to land him. While Napoli are quite receptive to bids for Osimhen as club president, Aurelio De Laurentiis looks to slash their wage bill, the Serie A giants will stick to their valuation of for their centre-forward and will not entertain anything below the €100 million mark.
Arsenal and Bayern Munich have been put off by their asking price and have moved on to other alternatives in Gabriel Jesus and Sadio Mane, respectively. But cash-rich Newcastle are determined to make a statement signing. The Newcastle hierarchy have made it clear that they are ready to make a big investment to sign Osimhen.
Newcastle’s interest in the 23-year-old Napoli forward is no secret since they had a January approach turned down by Napoli, who were not interested in selling him midway through the season. Their interest has not gone away, though, and after hitting another snag in their pursuit of Hugo Ekitike, Newcastle could make a splash in the market as Eddie Howe looks for alternatives to reinforce his strike force ahead of the 2022/23 season.
The 23-year-old has enjoyed a meteoric rise in European football since signing for Serie A club Napoli from LOSC Lille and is considered as one of the best strikers in Italy. The Nigerian goal-machine has lit up the Serie A with his exploits over the last two seasons. He scored ten league goals from 24 games in 2020/21 and has carried that red-hot scoring form into the season gone by.
Last term, Osimhen featured in 32 games across all boards for Napoli, directly contributing to 24 goals (18 goals and six assists), leading the charge for their unlikely Scudetto push, which they ultimately lost to the AC Milan. For the Super Eagles on the international stage, Osimhan has found the net 15 times in just 23 outings starts so far.
At just 23 years old, the clinical forward has already proven that he can already produce the goods on the big stage and would be an unreal coup for the Magpies. With Newcastle aiming to assemble a side capable of competing at the highest level for years to come, Osimhen clearly fits the profile to spearhead their attack and guarantees’ goals.
Having said that, Gazzetta dello Sport adds that the former Lille starlet is unconvinced about a potential move to St. James’ Park with no Champions League football on offer, and he feels the same way about Arsenal’s interest. Whether Newcastle can tempt the 23-year-old into a move to the North East of England and strike an agreement with the Serie A outfit as well remains to be seen.
