Aurelio De Laurentiis – CaughtOffside

Chelsea’s pursuit of Victor Osimhen likely to be revived after latest news

Jason Pettigrove — Tue, 23 Jul 2024 05:48:31 +0000

Chelsea will be determined to hit the ground running this season under Enzo Maresca.

The pressure on the Italians shoulders is likely to be almost intolerable given the evident need for league and cup success for the club’s owners, something that was seemingly beyond Mauricio Pochettino and Graham Potter, not that either were really given the time to put their methods into practice.

Just when Poch was getting things right, a decision to part by mutual consent was made.

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Thomas Tuchel was also swiftly dismissed by Todd Boehly, who had evidently decided it was time for a change soon after taking over as owner of the club.

From Maresca’s point of view, the strength of the club’s transfer window this summer is likely to have a marked effect on how well Chelsea do in the first half of the campaign, which will also have a direct correlation to the manager’s own position.

One player that the Blues are known to have had in their sights for a while now is Napoli’s brilliant hit-man, Victor Osimhen.

Victor Osimhen deal could be revived by Chelsea

With a reported £113m release clause (The Standard), Osimhen’s hire by Chelsea would’ve seen them almost certainly at the top of the spending charts again, however, more recently the player has edged nearer to a move to Paris Saint-Germain.

It isn’t clear if the structure of the deal is what had seen PSG move ahead of the Blues in the race to bag the 25-year-old, however, there may yet be hope for Boehly and Co.

??? Negotiations between PSG and Napoli for Osimhen, not advancing after recent talks.

PSG rejected to include Kang-in Lee in the deal and will not trigger release clause as Napoli wanted.

Deal NOT happening under these conditions.

PSG also happy with Ramos & Kolo Muani. pic.twitter.com/R46085YcyQ

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 22, 2024

According to a post on X (formerly Twitter) from CaughtOffside columnist and transfer expert, Fabrizio Romano, talks between the French giants and their Italian counterparts have stalled.

That could see Boehly revive Chelsea’s interest in a player who would be the perfect replacement for Romelu Lukaku – the Belgian surely going the other way as part of any deal.

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Napoli’s answer to PSG’s Kvaratskhelia pursuit revealed with Chelsea waiting in the wings

Jason Pettigrove — Wed, 29 May 2024 09:18:08 +0000

With the summer transfer window just around the corner, Napoli have seemingly already made a decision on their excellent 23-year-old forward, Kvicha Kvaratskhelia.

The exciting Georgian has been coveted by some of European football’s storied clubs ever since he emerged as a major talent during the Partnopei’s recent Scudetto-winning season.

Along with Victor Osimhen, he was the household name that thousands of Napoli aficionados were hanging their hats on every week, hoping that as the games went by, they could help bring the Serie A side back to the promised land.

Napoli’s answer to PSG over Kvaratskhelia pursuit revealed

They did exactly that, however, a year is a long time in football and just 12 months after their glorious title-winning campaign, Napoli finished 10th in the Italian top-flight and a cavernous 39 points behind this season’s champions, Internazionale.

It’s that kind of form which has led to thoughts that both Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia would be sold this summer.

Napoli want to keep hold of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia despite the attentions of Chelsea and PSG

The Nigerian appears almost certain to move on with Chelsea apparently interested, and the West Londoners would also appear to have been looking at the possibilities to move for his colleague, according to Italian journalist Ciro Venerato via quotes run by TeamTalk.

The outlet also noted the interest from Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool and Barcelona.

According to Corriere dello Sport, the French giants had made Kvaratskhelia their priority signing this summer after Kylian Mbappe left the club and Osimhen’s representatives indicated that the Blues were the preferred option of their client.

However, the expected signing of Antonio Conte as new Napoli manager has thrown a real spanner in the works.

Corriere dello Sport also detail that one of the non-negotiables to get the former Tottenham manager to sign on the dotted line in Naples is that the club keep hold of Kvaratskhelia.

It isn’t clear at this stage if the player or his agent will try to force matters, but Conte has shown time and again that he isn’t a man to mess with.

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Antonio Conte set to raid Chelsea for key first-team ace as Napoli appointment nears

Jason Pettigrove — Tue, 28 May 2024 07:47:31 +0000

It’s been a long time out of the game for Antonio Conte, but he’s set to become the new coach of Napoli, and his first job will be to raid Chelsea for one of their stars.

The Italian hasn’t managed a team since his infamous rant whilst manager of Tottenham Hotspur.

It isn’t clear if there have been offers made to him prior to the Napoli one, but regardless, Conte has seemed perfectly happy waiting in the wings until a job came along that appealed to his sensibilities.

That job, according to Corriere dello Sport, is the challenge to bring Napoli back to the top table of domestic and European football.

Antonio Conte wants Lukaku reunion

The Partnopei, after winning the Scudetto for the first time in three decades the season before last, ended up finishing the 2023/24 campaign in 10th, some 39 points behind champions, Inter Milan.

It’s at the Neroazzurri where Conte enjoyed a fruitful working relationship with Romelu Lukaku, and it’s the Belgian hit-man that the Italian wants to reunite with in Napoli.

Antonio Conte wants a reunion with Chelsea’s Romelu Lukaku at Napoli

Currently plying his trade on loan at Roma, it was thought that the lack of other options would see Lukaku move to the Saudi Pro League this summer.

Whilst that’s still a possibility given the expected salary he would receive, surely the chance to link up with Conte again, in a league he knows well, would be preferable.

What’s more, given that Chelsea are known to want Napoli’s Victor Osimhen but are understood not to want to pay his €130m release clause, allowing Lukaku to move to Naples will bring down Osimhen’s transfer fee.

At present, the deals are a little way from being done, but once Conte signs on the dotted line, it would be a surprise if all parties didn’t then get to work on starting off what’s expected to be a striker’s ‘domino effect’ across Europe.

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Exclusive: Osimhen wants to emulate Drogba and enjoy a long Chelsea career

Jason Pettigrove — Tue, 20 Feb 2024 14:44:53 +0000

Victor Osimhen will certainly be one of the protagonists of the next summer transfer window.

The Nigerian striker will leave Napoli at the end of the season, confirmed by president De Laurentiis, with the hope of starting a new experience in the Premier League.

In fact, the player would prefer a transfer to England over other leagues.

Chelsea are interested and are evaluating the possibility of paying the €130m release clause included last year in the contract renewal with Napoli.

Contacts with the player have been going on for months now: a multi-year contract is ready for him – probably for seven years – with a slightly improved salary compared to the current one at Napoli.

Osimhen would prefer a move to Chelsea in order that he can follow the same type of path of Didier Drogba, his idol.

The English club is also considering starting talks with the Italy champions soon to talk about a possible deferral of the payment of the clause as they anticipate competition, such as that from PSG.

However, in the next few weeks, everything will start to become clearer.

The French club are known to be looking around to replace Mbappe – on his way to Real Madrid – but despite several rumours indicating that PSG is Osimhen’s most likely destination, there appears to have been no recent contact between the player’s representatives and the leader Ligue1.

As revealed many months ago, PSG have targeted Portuguese winger Rafael Leao as Mbappe’s possible replacement.

Furthermore, the French club is also considering reinforcing the other roles with top names.

At least 2 midfielders are sought, with Bernardo Silva as their main target, and a defender for whom Leny Yoro is absolutely preferred.

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Chelsea or Arsenal will have to pay in the region of €130m to prise Osimhen from Napoli says Romano

Jason Pettigrove — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 15:14:47 +0000

He was never going to be a cheap hire, but Victor Osimhen’s expected sale price from Napoli would likely set a new record for an English club were either Chelsea or Arsenal to firm up their interest in the hit-man.

The 24-year-old Nigerian has long been coveted by some of Europe’s biggest clubs, and no wonder.

He already has seven goals in 13 Serie A games in 2023/24 despite being partly missing through injury, per transfermarkt.

That follows on from the previous two campaigns when he hit 14 in 27 Italian top-flight games in 21/22, and then a remarkable 26 in 32 matches last season, as Napoli took the Scudetto for the first time since the Diego Maradona era.

It’s obvious why the Partnopei would be loathe to lose him, so with that in mind, they’ve ensured they’ll get a best price for their striker by getting him to extend his current contract until 2026.

“Speaking of contracts, Victor Osimhen’s Napoli deal is also done. The documents have been signed and his contract has been extended from 2025 to 2026,” Fabrizio Romano said in his exclusive Daily Briefing for CaughtOffisde.

“One more season at Napoli so not a long term deal, but it will help Napoli to handle his future.”

The new deal doesn’t necessarily mean he will still be at the club past next summer either, it just allows Napoli to set the bar financially rather than losing him for a fraction of what he’s worth.

“Victor Osimhen still has a very good chances to leave the club in 2024 – his release clause is in the region of €130m – but not in January unless something completely crazy happens,” Romano added.

Even at that price, there are sure to be many suitors – including the Premier League London rivals – for a player that’s as close to a guarantee of goals in European football as it’s possible to be at present.

“The interest from Chelsea and Arsenal remains, and let’s see if other clubs will join the race to buy the player next summer,” Romano concluded.

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Exclusive: Napoli’s stance on Victor Osimhen’s potential January switch to Chelsea revealed

Jason Pettigrove — Sat, 23 Dec 2023 07:04:39 +0000

Chelsea are believed to have long held an interest in Napoli marksman, Victor Osimhen, and the Blues are on the verge of finding out the Partnopei’s stance on whether they’re open to selling their star man in the January transfer window.

The Telegraph (subscription required) details Mauricio Pochettino’s need for a centre-forward, and Osimhen has shown his qualities over the past 18 months.

A fee of over £100m is likely to be required to tempt Napoli into doing business, though it could be the summer at the earliest before there’s any chance of seeing the Nigerian pitch up at Stamford Bridge.

That’s because it would appear that a contract extension with Napoli is virtually done and dusted.

Victor Osimhen in action for Napoli

“The situation is still exactly the same as I said 10 days ago guys, no changes,” Fabrizio Romano said in his Daily Briefing for CaughtOffside.

“Victor Osimhen’s new deal is almost agreed, contract until 2026, and a release clause will be there.

“Napoli president, Aurelio De Laurentiis, only confirmed on Friday what we already knew and mentioned. It will happen guys.”

Though that might disappoint the Chelsea faithful, it makes more sense to bring Osimhen in during the summer and have him fit and firing ready for the 2024/25 campaign.

The current season in terms of the Premier League title is already a write-off as far as the club is concerned, and not even Osimhen’s immediate capture would necessarily have changed that.

Given Boehly’s way of working in the transfer market, it’s highly likely that Osimhen wouldn’t be the only summer capture either.

Any disappointment that supporters may be feeling that the player isn’t coming early in the new year will surely be dissipated if the Chelsea owner pulls off another coup or two in six months time.

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Napoli’s personal concession to Osimhen could see Liverpool and Chelsea disappointed

Jason Pettigrove — Tue, 31 Oct 2023 09:01:27 +0000

The case of Victor Osimhen and Napoli is a strange one indeed, given that the club are believed to have offered him the highest salary in club history but then mocked him on social media.

That’s not the way to treat your best players and from Osimhen’s own point of view, he’ll know that he could walk into just about any other side in European football and improve them, so it would very much be Napoli’s loss were that to happen.

It’s a story that does appear to get stranger by the day too.

The official Napoli website were even forced into making a statement after club president, Aurelio De Laurentiis had suggested that Osimhen wasn’t interested in signing the new contract offered.

Where next for Victor Osimhen?

The statement simply confirmed that the president hadn’t said anything negative about the player, but the fact that the club felt it needed to clarify the position is a strange one indeed.

Now, however, things could be set to work out between club and player, which would disappoint both Liverpool and Chelsea.

The Reds were linked with a move for Osimhen by the Mirror whilst the Blues interest is noted by ESPN.

According to Il Mattino (h/t Fichajes), the concession by the club to allow Osimhen to visit Nigeria for a few days has softened the relationship between the parties and has given rise to the notion that the player may once again be willing to commit his future to the Partnopei.

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Exclusive: Osimhen situation could be one to watch in 2024 with Chelsea already circling

Jason Pettigrove — Sat, 21 Oct 2023 08:51:17 +0000

Just a few months after helping Napoli to their first Serie A title in three decades, star striker Victor Osimhen is still stalling over a new, bumper contract.

It’s likely to have something to do with the club, bizarrely, authorising their social media department to post a meme which effectively made fun of the player.

Though relations seemed to be smoothed over after the furore that erupted in the immediate aftermath of that error of judgment, president Aurelio De Laurentiis offered an explainer as to why Osimhen still hadn’t signed a contract extension and that only appeared to make the situation worse.

‘After the president’s public statement, and in an official statement on their website, the club wanted to clarify that the president’s words were not to be taken as a negative comment,’ Fabrizio Romano, wrote in his exclusive Daily Briefing column.

Where next for Victor Osimhen?

‘[…] So, what’s the reality of this situation? Guys, from what I’m hearing it’s true that in August, Napoli presented a very important contract extension proposal to Victor Osimhen. The biggest salary in Napoli’s history was on the table to convince him to extend a contract which expires in the summer of 2025, but the contract extension is absolutely far from being done.’

Though it’s highly unlikely according to Romano that any team will be able to prise the player from the Partnopei in January, it appears as though there could be some movement at the end of the season.

Chelsea are already circling it seems, and Todd Boehly will surely do all he can to bring the player to west London.

If the Blues front men have still struggled in front of goal, such a move would make playing as well as commercial sense.

‘In the summer, it could be a different story. Chelsea are absolutely one of the clubs being kept informed on the situation, and this is very normal because we know they’ve been looking for a new striker for a long time,’ Romano added.

‘Man United are very happy with Rasmus Hojlund in that position now. Osimhen’s situation in general is going to be one to watch in 2024, with Napoli still trying to get the player to extend his contract – and that won’t be easy.’

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Antonio Conte would welcome Serie A return at Napoli after Tottenham debacle

Jason Pettigrove — Wed, 11 Oct 2023 07:41:39 +0000

It’s been a few months since Antonio Conte launched into his epic rant about Tottenham Hotspur which brought about his demise at the club.

Whether or not what he had to say was agreed with by supporters, Daniel Levy was never doing to allow the Italian to stay in position after that.

In truth, the break between manager and club had been coming for some while, and the chat with the press was the final straw.

Conte’s rant has never been more accurate. pic.twitter.com/hAPPPPjj3Z

— Rebekka (@rebekkarnold) May 20, 2023

Since then, Conte has maintained a dignified silence and the media have left him alone by and large.

Calciomercato are now reporting that he’s ready to reappear from the shadows, however, with a switch to Napoli potentially on the cards.

The Partnopei, current reigning champions of Serie A, look highly likely to dispense with Rudi Garcia, who was only employed by Aurelio De Laurentiis a few months ago.

It appears that there is quite the disconnect between players and manager, and their current fifth place, some seven points behind leaders Milan, isn’t really too much of a surprise.

Though Garcia hasn’t been relieved of his duties just yet, it only seems to be a matter of time before the axe falls.

Calciomercato note that Conte has been like a coiled spring for a while now and can’t wait to get back into club management, with a move to Napoli particularly appealing.

Watch this space.

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Graham Potter finally set for surprise new appointment after being sacked by Chelsea in April

Jason Pettigrove — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 07:00:15 +0000

It’s already been six months since Graham Potter was sacked by Todd Boehly at Chelsea, despite looking to be on the verge of turning things around at Stamford Bridge.

Just like Thomas Tuchel before him, Potter appeared to be a victim of the American owner’s trigger finger and he was fired before he’d really got going in the position.

One can only wait to see what happens to Mauricio Pochettino, though surely Boehly has already learned his lesson because his previous way of working was clearly unsustainable.

The six months that Potter has spent in a relative football wilderness will almost certainly have sharpened his focus regarding what he intends to do next, and it appears that a surprise opportunity has presented itself to the 48-year-old.

According to Foot Mercato, Potter is on the list of replacements for Rudi Garcia at reigning Serie A champions, Napoli.

The outlet suggest that the players have now become disillusioned under their manager, prompting calls by board members for Aurelio de Laurentiis to remove Garcia from his duties.

Potter has competition for the role, however, with both Marcelo Gallardo and Igor Tudor also being name checked as possible alternatives to Garcia, who is likely to be sacked after just four months in charge.

If the former Chelsea man is the last one standing in this particular race, it’ll be a real feather in his cap.

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