Transfer News
Gift Orban’s Lille move advances
Nigerian forward nearing the completion of his transfer to France Ligue 1 side
By Ed Emeanua
Nigerian forward Gift Orban is almost on the verge of completing his transfer to Ligue one side Lille from Gent of Belgian.
The Gent star has always been considered the most likely replacement for Lille top marksman Jonathan David onwards from the end of last season.
Foot Mercato reports that a deal is nearing completion with the player’s representatives and that immediately that is resolved, and David departs Les Dogues, the move will be concluded.
The 23-year-old Canadian international in turn, has been identified as a potential replacement for Harry Kane at Tottenham Hotspur.
David notched 24 Ligue 1 goals in the French topmost league bracket last term, thus reportedly attracting the attention of several Premier League sides, with Tottenham Hotspur the frontrunner for his signature.
At the same token, Orban registered 20 goals to his name in just 22 appearances in all competitions in the past campaign, in only his first year in the Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium since his move from Stabæk.
Lille is hopeful the Nigerian would arrive with the similar force in its attacking end as David, who equally moved from Gent to Lille in 2020.
Transfer News
Why Victor Osimhen wants Napoli exit
Desire for UEFA Champions League Football driving Napoli star’s summer move decision
By Ed Emeanua
Victor Osimhen wants a move away from Naples because Partenopei will miss out on UEFA Champions League and European club football action altogether this season.
The Nigerian’s decision has forced Napoli to consider other striking options and rule out the forward’s participation in their 2024-2025 football plans. Napoli manager Antonio Conte has decided against Osimhen’s inclusion in his Napoli goals.
The Napoli boss has said he prefers Chelsea reject and Belgium international Romelu Lukaku to lead his attack line.
The slow progress in Osimhen’s ambition to transcend to Pasture New this summer is also because of the player’s oversized prioritization of playing UEFA Champions League football.
Before the opening of the Summer transfer season, Chelsea was primed to sign the Nigerian superstar but found the Napoli striker’s rebuff of their initial approaches rather perplexing.
The Blues under new boss Enzo Maresca were ultimately forced to cool off their interest in the Nigerian forward after Team Osimhen telegraphed the impetus of UEFA Champions League football in the player’s relocation ambition.
Erik ten-Hag’s Manchester United was also forced to scratch out the Nigerian’s name from their shopping list for the same reason.
The player’s interest was initially a move to either Parc Des Princes with Paris Saint Germain (PSG) or Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium with who both sides already assured of UEFA Champions League football slots.
However, in’ desperation to keep Osimhen at the Diego Armando Stadium at the end of the 2022-2023 season, Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis had extended the Nigerian’s stay in Naples till 2026.
To keep the paws of prospective buyers at bay, De Laurentiis also penned a hefty $143 million release clause into the player’s refurbished deal.
However, though ‘Les Parisiens’ and ‘The Gunners’ were receptive to the Nigerian’s interest in joining their ranks, Arsenal and PSG felt that De Laurentiis’ valuation of his star striker was too steep.
The high interest in featuring in the glamorous UEFA Champions League is applicable to all players in World-wide.
The UEFA Champions League is arguably the ultimate grand-slam of club football and guarantees its participants the huge venue to showcase their talents. It is also the easiest forum for exceptional players to convince selectors of their Ballon d’Or pedigree.
Osimhen is a world class striker in every right and at age twenty-five, it is pertinent for the Napoli striker to break the mold.
According to Football Italia, Napoli boss Antonio Conte has admitted a ‘difficulty’ in bringing in new talents to Napoli this Summer because of the club’s lack of European football opportunity for the upcoming season.
“I knew the situation when I came, and in the market you have limits on the cost of the player’s salary,” Conte told SportMediaset, via Gianluca Di Marzio.
“Most of the time, players don’t come here because we don’t play in the (European) cups.
“I want the best for Napoli and to try and strengthen the squad, because we need it. I don’t know what will happen down the line. Today (referring to Napoli’s a 0-0 draw against Serie B side Modena in the Coppa Italia on Saturday evening, but progressed after a 4-3 victory in the penalty shootout) was a dose of reality.”
Transfer News
Chelsea handed huge Osimhen transfer boost
As Napoli’s chief makes a statement
Victor Osimhen Image credit: SportsMole
Napoli sporting director Giovanni Manna has confirmed that star striker Victor Osimhen has asked to leave the club amid interest from Chelsea Ben Knapton reports for SportsMole.
The Nigeria international rose to global prominence after scoring a league-high 26 goals during Napoli’s Serie A-winning campaign of 2022-23, before which he had been posting respectable numbers in the Partenopei shirt.
Osimhen’s 2023-24 season was a largely forgettable one, though, as even though he managed a respectable 17 efforts across all tournaments, his season was marred by club controversy.
As well as being seen arguing with former boss Rudi Garcia during his ill-fated stint in charge, Osimhen was also mocked by his club in a couple of posts on TikTok, sparking fury from his agent.
The 25-year-old nevertheless agreed a new contract with Napoli until the summer of 2026, although that extension was more about protecting his value rather than being indicative of a long-term association.
Osimhen has “asked to leave” Napoli amid Chelsea reports
Osimhen’s terms are said to include a release clause of around £113m, but as president Aurelio de Laurentiis is resigned to losing the striker this summer, he would be willing to do business at around the £85.6m mark.
Amid the speculation surrounding his next career move, Osimhen was not involved in Napoli’s Coppa Italia first-round win over Modena on Saturday evening, where Antonio Conte‘s men won on penalties following a 0-0 draw.
Speaking to the media before the game, Manna confirmed that the 25-year-old was absent from the squad due to his desire to leave, while also offering a cryptic update about what the next “few days” might bring.
“He asked to leave. We are calm because we have players in the squad who can replace him in the best way. However, we do not want to harm the integrity of the group and want to preserve it. We will see what will happen in the next few days,” football.london quotes Manna as saying.
As a result, Osimhen will seemingly not be involved in any more Napoli squads while he remains set on leaving, meaning that he could depart the club with a record of 76 goals and 18 assists from 133 matches.
What is the latest on Chelsea’s Osimhen pursuit?
With Real Madrid signing Kylian Mbappe and Arsenal abandoning their search for a center-forward for the time being, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain are considered the top contenders for Osimhen’s signature.
However, the French champions’ interest has supposedly also cooled, as Luis Enrique is happy with Randal Kolo Muani and Goncalo Ramos as his central options, leaving Chelsea in prime position to bring the wantaway Nigerian to the Premier League.
The Blues are currently in no position to bow to Napoli’s £85.6m price demands, though, and a move also hinges on Napoli’s ability to agree a deal with Romelu Lukaku, who has a £37.8m buyout clause in his Chelsea deal.
Talk of Lukaku and Osimhen heading in opposite directions as part of a player-plus-cash deal have been shot down by the latter’s agent, but Chelsea have apparently banished the former from the first-team facilities as they desperately try to offload him.
As things stand, an agreement still seems a fair way away, meaning that Chelsea’s pursuit of Osimhen could come down to the final knockings of the summer window, which slams shut on August 30.
Transfer News
Arsenal cools off on Osimhen transfer
Prospective teams play cagey as the Nigerian’s Napoli future remains uncertain
(Getty Images)
By Ed Emeanua
Mikel Arteta is cooling off his prospection of having Napoli forward Victor Osimhen spearheading his offensive arsenal for next season’s football forays.
Calcio Napoli24 claims that the Gunners have scratched out yet another name from their shopping list-Victor Osimhen.
According to Just Arsenal, Arteta’s Premier League outfit is heavily favoring commencing the coming season with the same offensive makeup that they currently have on their books.
Despite lengthy summer transfer news about bringing in a new striker to the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal is saturated with a plethora of players they feel can strengthen their offensive half.
Arteta has been spurning the wheels on these stars for quite some time, getting them well-oiled and ready for big-time football.
Getty Images
Just Arsenal reports that a lot of names have been bandied around in Holloway, North London, England, but Arteta’s side has cooled off on acquiring Benjamin Sesko and Ivan Toney.
Osimhen’s transfer saga has taken on a new dimension with the arrival of Antonio Conte at Napoli.
Several teams are interested in the Napoli forward who is truly a world-class striker. The dilemma for Osimhen and Napoli is that teams that see him as a prospect are now cagey having sensed that the Napoli man has a highly unrealistic future at Napoli.
Aurelio De Laurentiis in his determination not to lose the Nigerian for a reduced fee, placed a stupendous €120m release clause on the forward after the striker had spearheaded Napoli to the scudetto following over thirty years of waiting.
That season, Osimhen scored twenty-six goals in thirty-two Serie A appearances and provided four assists. There were plenty of suitors for the Napoli striker at the end of the 2022-2023 season and that was the right time for the Nigerian to move.
Surprisingly, the Napoli striker dug himself into a ditch by deciding to stay. Then, at the end of the 2023-2024 term, Osimhen scored fifteen goals in twenty-five Serie A outings with three assists, making prospectors wary of his consistency.
Credit: The Hardtackle
The scenery became even more complicated for the Nigeria international with the coming of a manager to Napoli who is aiming for a different striker.
Osimhen was done in the moment Conte left him out of his plans for the about-to-commence season thereby telegraphing to suitors that the Nigerian’s future in Napoli is uncertain.
Smart teams needing the striker will only sit this one out to the closing minutes of the current transfer season when desperation usually drives teams needing instant cash to sell on the cheap.
Whatever happens with Osimhen at the close of the summer transfer season, Napoli will not rake in the entire €120m in the player’s release clause.
Chelsea is the most likely destination for Osimhen simply because De Laurentiis has no other option but to grant Conte’s wish to bring in Romelu Lukaku to Stadio Armando Maradona and Chelsea will achieve their determination to offload the Belgium international finally.
The two teams will reach this milestone probably at the last few moments before the close of the summer transfer window. However, the deal isn’t going to be worth €120m. It won’t even be close.