Arsenal and Liverpool are interested in signing Lille striker Victor Osimhen, the Nigeria international’s representatives told AllNigeriaSoccer over the weekend.
Any hopes Lille might have had of making a 21-year-old striker the biggest export in their history might have been scuppered.
According to Le10 Sport, Les Dogues had put a £90 million price-tag on Osimhen’s head (higher than the fee they were demanding for Nicola Pepe a year ago).
But with the global health crisis shrinking the transfer market all over Europe, Lille may now be forced to accept a reduced fee for their 18-goal top scorer.
That does not, however, mean that the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool will be free to snap up Osimhen on the cheap.
A powerful number nine who has been compared to Zlatan Ibrahimovic is still one of the most highly-rated forwards in the market today. And with even the Premier League’s biggest clubs keeping their powder dry, it remains to be seen if he will be forced to wait until 2021 before a life-changing move comes his way.
“All the mentioned clubs have made contact with him,” Osita Okolo says after being asked about interest from Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.
Okolo was also at pains to point out that Osimhen has not agreed a move to Napoli, despite recent claims from Italy suggesting that he was on his way to the Stadio San Paolo.
Liverpool, as we are all aware, decided against bringing long-term target Timo Werner to Anfield with his £53 million release clause deemed a little too rich in this day and age.
So with Osimhen’s fee likely to dwarf that of a Germany international, Reds fans should not hold their breath waiting for a marquee striker signing this summer.
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