There are still some details to discuss between reigning Italian Serie A champions Napoli and Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen before he signs off on a new contract extension.
Multiple reports in recent weeks had claimed that an agreement over a new deal for the Nigerian had practically been reached, but speaking after Napoli’s opening game of the Serie A season, Osimhen cast more doubt on his situation.
Last season’s top scorer had been linked with a move away from Naples this summer, although with a price tag of around €200m, it was mainly teams in Saudi Arabia lining up.
Osimhen’s agent, Roberto Calenda, has been in for a series of meetings with representatives from Napoli at various stages of the summer, and it had been reported that a renewal was effectively a done deal.
Il Corriere dello Sport notes that Napoli is prepared to pay Osimhen a gross annual salary of €15m, which would make him the highest earner in Serie A.
There would also be a release clause included, set at €150m for teams outside Italy in the summer of 2024. That clause would also open up for teams within Serie A the following year.
However, with his comments after Napoli’s 3-1 win over newly-promoted Frosinone, during which he scored an emphatic brace, Osimhen suggested that an extension was not as close as many had thought.
“The president is the boss.,” Osimhen said. “We are still negotiating, we’ll see at the end of the transfer window. For now, I am a Napoli player which is the most important thing.
He continued: “I will give my heart and soul to this team as I’ve always done in the past. We’ll see what happens.”
