Arsenal has reportedly ended their interest in Napoli striker Victor Osimhen due to his hefty €130m price tag and rumors of a player swap deal.
Osimhen is expected to leave Napoli this summer after four successful seasons, despite signing a new contract last December that runs until 2026.
Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis has resigned himself to losing Osimhen, who has a release clause worth around €130m.
Arsenal, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, and Real Madrid were all interested in Osimhen, but Real Madrid has ruled out a move after signing Kylian Mbappe.
Chelsea’s new boss Enzo Maresca is also not keen on signing Osimhen, leaving a potential two-way fight between PSG and Arsenal.
However, Arsenal has informed Napoli that they will not meet their €130m demands, especially after breaking their transfer record with the £105m signing of Declan Rice last year.
Arsenal still rates Osimhen highly but cannot justify the nine-figure fee, which is also a concern for most of Osimhen other suitors.
Napoli president De Laurentiis may be forced to accept a lower fee for Osimhen, especially with the arrival of Antonio Conte, who wants to sign Chelsea’s Romelu Lukaku.
PSG is now considered the favorite for Osimhen’s signature, as he is not keen on moving to Saudi Arabia, and the French champions will save €200m in yearly wages after Mbappe’s departure.
Osimhen topped the Serie A scoring charts in the 2022/23 season with 26 strikes and netted 15 times in 2023/24, despite missing a large part of the season due to injuries.
Arsenal’s decision to pull out of the race leaves PSG in pole position to sign the Nigerian striker, who is highly sought after by top European clubs.
