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Victor Osimhen has reportedly made it clear his preference is to move to the Premier League before the transfer deadline despite being the subject of a big-money offer from Saudi Arabia.
Saudi powerhouse Al Ahli approached Napoli earlier this week with a £65m offer for Osimhen, who has scored 65 goals in 108 Serie A games.
Osimhen’s best campaign came in 2022-23 when he scored 31 goals in all competitions to help Napoli win the Scudetto.
Premier League rivals Chelsea and Arsenal have both been strongly linked with moves for Osimhen as they look to bolster Enzo Maresca and Mikel Arteta’s attacking options before the summer transfer window closes on Friday night.
Chelsea put six past Wolves at the weekend but there is still a belief at the Stamford Bridge club that signing a new striker would be of great help to new boss Maresca.
The Blues signed £32m striker Nicolas Jackson from Villarreal last summer but the Senegal international endured a mixed first season in the Premier League.
That has left Chelsea considering signing a new frontman, with Brentford and England’s Ivan Toney another possible option.
Arsenal, meanwhile, were prolific in the final third last season but shared the goals around between the likes of Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard.
Several pundits have suggested signing a new striker would take Mikel Arteta’s side to the next level following back-to-back second-place finishes in the Premier League.
Both Chelsea and Arsenal are still keeping tabs on Osimhen but feared they would be blown out of the water by Al Ahli’s offer.
Osimhen’s agent played down reports his client could move to Saudi Arabia, however, and said he ‘still has so much to do in Europe’.
‘Osimhen is a Napoli player, with a contract recently renewed with mutual satisfaction,’ football agent Roberto Calenda said.
‘He made history and when there were major offers (also this year) we always accepted the club’s decisions.
‘As I said, it is not a package to be shipped far away to make room for new prophets. Victor was elected African Footballer of the Year, eighth at the Ballon d’Or, he still has so much to do in Europe.
‘There is need for respect and balance.’
Osimhen is now ready to snub a lucrative move to Saudi and hold out for a move to the Premier League before deciding whether his future lies, according to The i.
It is claimed Chelsea and Arsenal target Osimhen has indicated his preference is to move to England, even though he also has interest from French giants PSG.
Given his reluctance to move to Saudi Arabia, Osimhen is expected to stay at Napoli for at least one more season if a Premier League move fails to materialise.
Chelsea have long been at the front of the queue to sign Osimhen but will have to trim Maresca’s squad and raise some cash through sales in order to justify his signing before the 11pm deadline on Friday night.
Maresca wants Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell out of his squad after banishing both from first-team training, while the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Kepa Arrizabalaga and Trevoh Chalobah are closing in on summer moves.
Sterling, who joined Chelsea two years ago from Manchester City, has been linked with a sensational move to Manchester United in exchange for Old Trafford flop Jadon Sancho, who is keen to leave.
Arsenal’s priority in the transfer market in recent weeks has been the £31m deal for Mikel Merino, who completed his move from Real Sociedad on Tuesday.
‘Mikel is a player who will bring us huge quality with his experience and versatility,’ said Gunners boss Arteta.
‘Mikel will make our squad significantly stronger, with his technical ability, together with his strong and positive character and personality.
‘As we all saw in the summer, Mikel is also a winner, with his strong performances throughout the Euros helping Spain win the tournament.’
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