Chelsea and Arsenal dealt transfer blow as top target agrees new deal with massive €130m release clause: Reports
Arsenal and Chelsea's plans of acquiring a top striker could potentially have been derailed as Napoli forward Victor Osimhen has extended his contract with the club.
This is as per reports from transfer expert Fabrizio Romano (via Caught Offside), who has added that Napoli have also inserted a massive €130 million release clause in Osimhen's new deal.
Both Arsenal and Chelsea could be deterred by the huge amount and will likely look elsewhere as the Nigerian's fee could be out of reach.
The Blues already signed Christopher Nkunku from RB Leipzig for £53 million (via Evening Standard) prior to the ongoing season. However, the Frenchman has yet to make an appearance for his new club due to being sidelined by a knee injury picked up in pre-season.
Chelsea also signed Nicolas Jackson in a deal worth £30 million (via Goal.com) from Villarreal but the striker has yet to hit the ground running. Armandro Broja has been in and out of the team due to injury and has failed to impress Mauricio Pochettino. This has prompted the club to be on the lookout for a marquee striker.
Arsenal, on the other hand, have Gabriel Jesus and Edward Nketiah in their ranks but have been linked with other forwards in recent times. They have been in the market for Osimhen as well as Brentford's Ivan Toney (via Eurosport) but no concrete offers have been made.
While it is highly unlikely the Gunners make a big move in the January window, next summer could be an opportunity for the north Londoners to flex their financial muscle.
Chelsea and Arsenal in race to sign Sporting CP striker
Both Chelsea and Arsenal have been in the market in search of a new striker and their pursuits have directed them towards Sporting CP's Viktor Gyokeres.
This is as per journalist Ekrem Konur (via Transfer News Live), who has added that Inter Milan, Fulham and Newcastle United are also interested in signing the 25-year-old.
Gyokeres was signed by Sporting CP from Coventry City in July this year and has been on fire for the Portuguese side. He has bagged 15 goals and provided seven assists in 18 appearances across competitions so far this season. His contributions have propelled Sporting to the top of the Liga Portugal table.
Seeing that the Swede provides goals as well as assists, it comes as no surprise that some of Europe's top clubs are in for him.