Napoli sporting director breaks silence over Victor Osimhen future and sends Chelsea 'economic' transfer hint

Napoli’s sporting director, Giovanni Manna, says he is working hard to construct a team that is competitive and will prioritise collective goals over individual interests. Chelsea have emerged as front runners for 25-year-old striker Victor Osimhen, who fired Napoli to the Serie A title in 2023.

However, since the appointment of Antonio Conte, Osimhen's future at the club is uncertain, with reports suggesting Conte wants a reunion with Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku. This has led Napoli to consider cashing in on Osimhen, who is also one of their highest earners.

Earlier in the week, reports emerged that Chelsea were looking to do a loan deal with Napoli that would see Lukaku head to the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in the same deal. But, speaking after Napoli’s 1-0 win over Brest in a pre-season game, sporting director Giovanni Manna said Osimhen was a Napoli player and nothing had changed despite the strong Chelsea links.

He told Napolimagazine.com: "These are all stages of a journey of work and growth that we are taking. Each match is a little bit more that brings us closer to what will then be the official commitments, the first of the Coppa Italia and then the first day of the championship.

“We are working to try to maintain an economic balance because this is a complicated year given the absence of the Champions League. But we want to set up a competitive squad with the right characteristics, which can satisfy the coach. Osimhen? In recent days, many things have been read and said. At the moment, we are focused on the construction of a team group. Victor's situation is quite clear to us: he is a Napoli player, at the moment a little behind in terms of condition.

“We are working on those players who will have to participate in the first official commitments. We are calm, we are focused: the team at this moment comes before the individual, and we are going in this direction."

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis previously slapped a £150 million valuation on Osimhen, which initially deterred Chelsea. However, the fact that Napoli has hinted they’d be happy to let him go has led teams like Chelsea and PSG to look for ways to bring down the price and secure his signature.

PSG spent £150 million on strikers Goncalo Ramos and Randal Kolo Muani last summer, but they are expected to dip into the market again to cover Mbappe’s 44 goals in 48 games last season.