Arsenal communicates with Napoli regarding Victor Osimhen transfer
Arsenal have informed Napoli that they will not pay Victor Osimhen’s €130 million (£110.8m) release clause.
After narrowly missing out on the Premier League title, Mikel Arteta is seeking to strengthen his squad with a new striker. One of Arsenal’s top targets is RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, who scored 14 goals in the Bundesliga this season and has a €65m (£55.2m) release clause.
Despite their admiration for Osimhen, Sky Sports Italy reports that Arsenal are not pursuing a deal due to the high costs. Napoli, who have been open to selling Osimhen for months, are holding out for a team to meet the €130m (£110.8m) clause set by club president Aurelio de Laurentiis. So far, no clubs have made offers close to that amount, and although Saudi Pro League clubs could afford the fee, Osimhen prefers to stay in Europe.
Napoli might consider lowering Osimhen’s price, needing the funds from his transfer to finance new signings this summer. The club aims to reunite new head coach Antonio Conte with Romelu Lukaku, who is returning to Chelsea after a loan at Roma. However, Chelsea demands that Lukaku’s £38m release clause be met, and Napoli likely needs to sell Osimhen before they can pursue the Belgian striker.