Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis makes subtle Victor Osimhen dig
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has recently come out with a cheeky jibe at his star striker, Victor Osimhen.
The Nigeria international has had a productive season but has missed a major part of it through multiple injuries, further affecting Napoli’s underwhelming title defence in the Serie A this time round.
According to the Manchester Evening News, De Laurentiis had this to say to the reporters:
“You can’t force coaches to train a club or you can’t make sure that your first striker scores 28 goals and that he is not ill and that perhaps he participated in 50% of the matches he should have played.”
The above quote is particularly interesting when taking into account the fact that Osimhen, long targeted by big names across Europe, will be subject to even more interest this summer.
The 25-year-old extended his contract last December, which, worth €12.82 million per year and set to run until June 2026, and has a release clause of £113 million.
Apart from Manchester United, Osimhen has also been linked heavily with PSG and Chelsea in recent weeks.
Osimhen is not for United
Osimhen’s current injury record would immediately pop up as a red flag for any United fan, who have seen the Red Devils suffer from injuries across the board this season. Even then, the Nigeria international’s scoring record is unquestionably one everyone outside Napoli looks at with envy.
Even when the injuries are taken out of consideration, however, the release clause for which Napoli and De Laurentiis are expected to hold out for is not something United should look to spend under any circumstances. The club are looking for wholesale exits to not only generate funds but also comply with the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules.
Osimhen is likely to be pursued strongly by PSG, who are looking to bring in a star name to replace the outgoing Kylian Mbappé, and Chelsea, who have finished the season with a strong momentum, are not shy of splashing three-figure sums, and will look to bring in a guaranteed goal-scorer to continue their push up the table next season.
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United, however, are better off looking for more prudent answers elsewhere.
