The summer window is still a few months away, but a transfer merry-go-round involving Napoli striker Victor Osimhen is already on the cards.
The future of Super Eagles top striker, Osimhen, may be locked to the fate of France and Paris Saint Germain star (PSG) Kylian Mbappe.
For a few years, Spanish heavyweights Real Madrid have been in the pursuit of PSG forward Mbappe.
The chase for the signature of the former Monaco star has caused ripples and bad blood in the former good relationship between the Spanish and the French side.
However, things may have reached its crescendo after Mbappe notified the club he will not renew his contract in the summer.
The notice to quit has pushed PSG to look for a worthy replacement, with Erling Haaland and Osimhen the two most viable options.
Despite their interest in Osimhen, PSG may find it hard to land the striker and here are the reasons.
Why PSG will struggle to sign Osimhen
1. His price tag
After signing a new contract with Napoli recently, the Neapolitans know the days of Osimhen in Naples are short.
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has set a price tag on their star forward, who helped them win the Scudetto after 33 years. The figure sits at €150 million, which may be steep for the Parisians.
Osimhen is keen on a move from Napoli following the issues with the club last year, with the Premier League a possible destination.
However, despite their pull, PSG has a Financial Fair Play (FFP) issue. They breached the rules and received a €65 million fine last season.
🚨 PSG have chosen Victor Osimhen to replace the outgoing Kylian Mbappé, with previous reports suggesting it would take €150m to sign the Nigerian, per The Athletic FC 📰#PSG pic.twitter.com/ENggHG8doc
— Everything Football⚽ (@JoshCla17226805) February 16, 2024
To sign the Napoli forward, who scored 2 Serie A goals last season to finish as Capocannoniere, will have to sell players to avoid more sanctions.
The Paris club agreed with UEFA to reduce their deficit over three years.
If PSG shells out that kind of money without selling players in the summer, they will raise eyebrows and bring the UEFA hammer down on the club.
2. Premier League interest
There is the challenge of Premier League clubs who have a more solid UEFA pedigree than PSG.
Osimhen is a Chelsea and Manchester United fan, with both clubs showing interest in the player.
The Super Eagles star also claimed he would like to play in the Premier League. Besides Chelsea and Manchester United, Arsenal have also sown interest in the Napoli striker.
It would be difficult to convince the Nigerian forward to dump the Premier League for Ligue 1.
3. Drogba’s influence
PSG are counting on the man who brought Osimhen to France in 2019 to convince him that the Paris club had a better project for his future.
PSG Sporting director Luis Campos brought the striker to LOSC Lille from Charleroi in 2019 before exploding in France and earning a move to Italy a year later.
They will have to battle against the solid influences around Osimhen.
Victor Osimhen 🇳🇬 : "Pour l'amour que j'ai pour mon idole Didier Drogba, je me battrais pour remporter cette CAN afin qu'il soit fier de moi."
Didier Drogba 🇨🇮: "Qu’est-ce qu’il raconte ce jeune homme 😳🧐..you are crazy 🤪 " pic.twitter.com/meounSyh17
— Sekou Toure🇬🇳 (@SekouToure1) February 10, 2024
Osimhen, who just came back from AFCON 2023, where Nigeria lost to the hosts Ivory Coast in the final sees Didier Drogba as his hero and has plenty of respect for Super Eagles legend Mikel Obi.
Both players have worked tirelessly to tilt his head towards Chelsea. It is an arduous task for PSG to compete with the pull the Ivorian legend has on Osimhen.
This article was most recently revised and updated 1 year ago
