Napoli know they must push through a deal with Chelsea for Romelu Lukaku next week, says transfer expert Matteo Moretto, but there is still no progress for Victor Osimhen’s situation.
Director Giovanni Manna finally announced late last night that Osimhen has asked to leave the club this summer, which was hardly a secret, though finding someone willing to pay over €100m is proving difficult.
Paris Saint-Germain have come closest so far, while Arsenal and Chelsea do not seem particularly enthusiastic about the Nigeria international.
As that drags on and he is left out of all pre-season matches, including the Coppa Italia against Modena, the focus turns to bringing in Lukaku even before Osimhen’s future has been resolved.
Lukaku and Osimhen sit and wait
Moretto writes in Caught Offside’s Daily Briefing column that the next week is going to be decisive and Napoli need to accelerate their negotiations with Chelsea for the Belgian.
At the same time, Lukaku is holding out only for a reunion with former Inter coach Antonio Conte at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
Sport Mediaset suggested Aston Villa were prepared to pay the release clause in his contract, but he would not accept the destination.
The ideal for Napoli would be to sell Osimhen to Chelsea for cash plus Lukaku, therefore solving two problems in one fell swoop.