• Liverpool contemplates swap deal
• Italians once locked Nigerian in hotel for three-days
Italian news outlet, La Gazzetta dello Sport, yesterday, reported that Napoli have been forced to include Victor Osimhen in their squad for the pre-season in mid-July pending the any deal that will take the Nigerian to another club permanently.
The Nigeria international has returned from a loan spell at Galatasaray and has already rejected a €30m-a-year offer from Al-Hilal, as Football Italia exclusively reported earlier this month.
The Saudi Pro League side haven’t yet given up on the Partenopei ace, but if they fail to reach an agreement with the striker by mid-July, Osimhen will be formally called up to start the pre-season with the rest of the team.
Napoli will soon send a formal email to inform the player about his commitment. The 26-year-old will likely undergo medical tests alongside his teammates, but it remains to be seen whether he’ll train with the rest of the team or separately.
Osimhen’s contract expires in June 2026, but Napoli have an option to extend to 2027. Osimhen has a €75m clause that is not valid for Serie A clubs.
Meanwhile, Liverpool have re-emerged as a possible destination for the U-17 World Cup winner, with the Reds potentially getting the chance to gain some revenge on Napoli.
Having made a sensational start to the summer transfer window, attention will now turn to Liverpool’s next steps. Jeremie Frimpong, Florian Wirtz and Milos Kerkez have all been added, with goalkeepers Armin Pecsi and Freddie Woodman also arriving, and Arne Slot and Richard Hughes might not be done there with more than two months still to go in the window.
For the time being, the focus looks as though it will be on departures, with Jarell Quansah looking set to be the next player to make way as a move to Bayer Leverkusen beckons. But Liverpool will still have its eye on strengthening in a couple of key areas, not least up front.
Alexander Isak is the dream signing, although Liverpool would have to smash its own transfer record for the second time this summer to even bring Newcastle to the table. Alternatives could therefore be sought, with Osimhen presenting a much more viable option.
Reports have already begun to claim that Liverpool has opened dialogue with Napoli, and the Reds may already have a head start on a possible deal, considering Darwin Nunez is being linked with a move to Italy.
Osimhen is no stranger to being touted as an option for Liverpool. The Nigerian’s name has cropped up more than a few times over the years, and had things turned out differently a few years ago, he might have already established himself at Anfield.
Back in 2020, when Michael Edwards was at the helm of Liverpool’s transfers, the Reds were said to have been in the running to sign Osimhen from Lille, where he had caught the eye with 18 goals in 38 appearances. Napoli director Cristiano Giuntoli though had other ideas.
According to his former collaborator Giandomenico Costi, Giuntoli took drastic measures to prevent Osimhen from getting the chance to speak to Liverpool. “The signing of Osimhen is Giuntoli’s biggest masterpiece,” Costi told Italian outlet Tuttosport. “He (Osimhen) was locked in a hotel for three days.
“Giuntoli knew Liverpool were interested, and Jurgen Klopp had made his move, but Cristiano spoke to Osimhen in the hotel for three days until he convinced him to accept Napoli. He was full of energy. Giuntoli is a director who would call you 100 times a day. He knew Victor very well, he had even followed him at Charleroi.”
