Chelsea are set for face-to-face talks with Napoli and Victor Osimhen’s representatives but are reportedly not keen to “overpay” as they bid to avoid the FFP sanctions, according to latest reports.
The meeting is planned specifically to understand whether the Blues are willing to pay his release clause, with Paris Saint-Germain reportedly making an offer.
Chelsea spent over £400m last summer in an effort to back manager Mauricio Pochettino, with financial experts like Stefan Borson predicting even tougher sanctions than the likes of Nottingham Forest and Everton if they are charged with breaches.
Osimhen is one of Serie A’s most clinical strikers in recent seasons and is currently valued between €120m-€130m by Napoli.
According to Italian daily, Il Mattino, Chelsea hope Napoli can be flexible as they open talks to sign the Nigerian, who is being courted by Europe’s top clubs.
“I think Chelsea is still in the race,” Il Mattino stated.
“The interest is still there. It is really important to understand what is happening, first of all with the FFP situation, because Chelsea do not want to overpay. So, it is important to know how much the package is going to be for Osimhen.
“We already know about the release clause between €120m-€130m with Napoli, so Chelsea and other clubs are waiting to see if Napoli can be flexible but usually with their president, De Laurentiis, it is usually very tough to go there and negotiate, especially for a fantastic player like Osimhen.”
The striker has scored 12 goals and assisted three others in 19 appearances and was a key mam in Napoli’s run to the Serie A title last year.
The 25-year-old recently signed a new £210,000-per-week contract, containing the aforementioned release clause.
Olaitan Ibrahim