Nigeria captain William Troost-Ekong says he does “know” which club his teammate Victor Osimhen will move to this summer.
The Napoli striker has been heavily linked with the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid in recent weeks. Asked whether Osimhen had told him which team he’d be joining next season, Troost-Ekong replied:
“I really can’t tell you anything, but I know!”
Osimhen only signed a new contract back in December. However, it includes a release clause that will allow him to leave Napoli if a club pays €130m (£111m).
Only a few teams will be able to afford that amount of money and it remains to be seen whether the Gunners can come up with the funds.
Financial Fair Play rules could prevent Arsenal from signing Osimhen
Release clauses are usually paid in full, unless an agreement can be reached with the selling club that will allow payments to be made in instalments.
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis is unlikely to sanction a sale unless the buyout fee is met so Mikel Arteta’s side may have issues with regards to paying the required amount.
FFP restrictions meant they had to loan David Raya, rather than sign him on a permanent basis last year. Although the next accountancy period does start on July 1st, it is not known how much room for manoeuvre the club have in terms of their transfer budget.
Arsenal could consider cheaper alternatives
If a deal for Osimhen does prove to be too costly, the Gunners may move on to more economical options. The likes of Bologna’s Joshua Zirzkee, RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko and Brentford’s Ivan Toney have also been mentioned as targets.
You do feel that, if a deal is viable, sporting director Edu would prioritise a bid for Osimhen. His goal record and the fact that he is still only 24 makes him the perfect candidate.
