Though Victor Osimhen’s agent Roberto Calenda dismissed as nothing but fake news the possibility of the Nigerian ace striker leaving Napoli for Chelsea in a swap deal involving Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku plus €70m cash, the proposal is gaining traction in several Italian news outlets.
The 25-year-old Nigerian striker is still waiting for his high-profile move away from the Partenopei this summer, having signed a new contract back in December that includes a €130m release clause. Paris Saint-Germain seemed seriously keen but their highest offer didn’t break the €90m mark.
Napoli are keen to snap up Lukaku to please new coach Antonio Conte and have been in contact with Chelsea regarding a possible swap deal involving Osimhen and a large cash sum. Both players expect to leave their respective clubs ahead of the 2024-25 season.
Yesterday, Corriere dello Sport, detailed how Lukaku is valued at around €30m by Napoli, despite his €44m release clause, so Chelsea would need to pay €70m as well to secure a deal for Osimhen, who is open to the move to West London.
But Football Italia journalist, Apollo Heyes, claimed a double loan deal looks extremely unlikely considering that both players have contracts expiring in 2026, adding the operation would need to be on definitive terms as talks between the two clubs are ongoing and developments are expected.
