Chelsea's pursuit of Napoli striker Victor Osimhen has received a boost after the Italian club's president, Aurelio de Laurentiis, softened his stance on the player's valuation. The Blues have been linked to the Nigerian forward for months, but Napoli's initial asking price of £113m was deemed too steep.
Osimhen signed a new contract with Napoli in December, which includes a release clause worth around £113m. However, with only two years remaining on his deal, De Laurentiis has reportedly resigned himself to losing the 25-year-old striker this summer. The Partenopei president is now open to negotiating a sale, with a price tag of around £84.7m (€100m) being touted.
According to the sun Nigeria, the development has reignited speculation that Chelsea could re-enter the race for Osimhen, although it's unclear whether the club would be willing to meet Napoli's revised asking price. Antonio Conte, who managed Chelsea from 2016 to 2018, is now in charge of Napoli and is said to be keen to reunite with Blues outcast Romelu Lukaku. While there's no indication that the two strikers will be part of the same deal, there's every chance they could go their separate ways in two separate transactions.
Chelsea has already secured the services of Marc Guehi from Barcelona and Omari Kellyman from Aston Villa, but may still be looking for additional attacking options. The Blues have had two bids rejected for Atletico Madrid's Samu Omorodion and may turn their attention to younger and cheaper alternatives.
Meanwhile, Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain have also been linked with Osimhen, although both clubs may be deterred by Napoli's asking price. PSG, in particular, is in the market for a permanent replacement for Kylian Mbappe and may view Osimhen as a viable option.
Clubs in Saudi Arabia, such as Al-Ahli, are also monitoring the situation, but Osimhen has expressed a preference to remain in Europe for the foreseeable future. With his impressive goal-scoring record (76 goals and 18 assists in 133 games) and only two years remaining on his contract, it's likely that Osimhen will attract interest from multiple suitors before the transfer window closes.