Arsenal and Chelsea to battle it out for Victor Osimhen

Napoli striker Victor Osimhen is expected to move to the Premier League at the end of the season with Arsenal and Chelsea ready to battle it out over his signature, according to a report from CalcioNapoli24.

The report relays information from Italian journalist Ciro Venerato, who claims ‘a duel between Arsenal and Chelsea is expected’ in the summer to land the Nigerian hitman.

The 25-year-old has established himself as a world-class striker and he helped Napoli win the league title last season. Osimhen has eight goals and three assists to his name across all competitions this season and he could transform Arsenal or Chelsea if he joined either club.

Arsenal will have to bring in an upgrade on Gabriel Jesus if they want to compete for major trophies. The Brazilian has scored just three league goals this season and Arsenal need a more reliable goal scorer.

As for Chelsea, the Nigerian would be a tremendous upgrade on Nicolas Jackson – who has been underwhelming since joining the Blues last summer.

Osimhen will cost a premium

Osimhen is at the peak of his powers and he will look to compete at the highest level when he leaves Napoli. The opportunity to play for clubs like Arsenal and Chelsea will be an attractive proposition for the Nigerian international and it will be interesting to see where he ends up.

He is unlikely to be a cheap acquisition and Napoli will demand his release clause to be paid in full. According to reports, the player has £111m [€130m] release clause in his contract, so he would be a huge investment.

Chelsea have shown in the past they are prepared to pay huge money to sign their targets, while Arsenal also broke their transfer record with a £105m deal for Declan Rice last summer. 

The London giants could now be ready to go head-to-head to sign Osimhen at the end of the season and the 25-year-old would be an excellent signing for either club.