Victor Osimhen is set to snub Chelsea and wait for long-time Paris Saint-Germain, who are now ready to make a final decision on his transfer, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The Blues have been seeking the signature of the Nigeria international all summer but were initially rebuffed by Napoli, with the 2022/23 Serie A champions insisting that his £113m release clause must be paid in full.
The 25-year-old is said to be ranking prominently on their wish list to lead their line during the 2024/25 season.
The Lagos-born is one of the most sought-after strikers in Europe, having been linked with moves to Chelsea, Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, and Liverpool, among others, following impressive seasons with Napoli.
Despite the departure of Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid, PSG remained silent on their pursuit of Osimhen, being also reluctant to meet the hefty £113m asking price for the striker and were happy with the duo Goncalo Ramos and Randal Kolo Muani.
Osimhen was believed to be keen to test himself in the Premier League after making a name for himself in Serie A with Napoli and in Ligue 1 with Lille, whose rivals Paris Saint-Germain were formerly thought to be Chelsea’s main contenders.
However, according to journalist Florian Plettenberg—via The Sun—Osimhen instead has his heart set on joining the French champions, who could now reignite their interest due to a serious injury to one of their strikers.
PSG are expected to rekindle their search for a new striker before the transfer window closes after Goncalo Ramos sustained a severe ankle sprain 20 minutes into Les Parisiens’ opening Ligue 1 game against Le Havre on Friday.
The Portuguese will be out for around three months following surgery, and Osimhen is prepared to wait until the ‘eleventh hour’ to seal his dream move to Paris.
With the latest development, Chelsea’s proposed triple swap deal for the Nigerian has supposedly been plunged into fresh doubt.
Osimhen has amassed 76 goals and 18 assists in 133 matches for Napoli in all competitions since 2022, but he has been frozen out of the squad after it was reported that he requested to leave this summer.
Antonio Conte’s side began their 2024-25 Serie A campaign with a 0-0 draw at the Stadio Bentegodi on Sunday against Hellas Verona.