Napoli want 21-year-old star alongside Romelu Lukaku as part of swap deal to let Victor Osimhen join Chelsea: Reports
Napoli have requested Chelsea to include Italian midfielder Cesare Casadei in the swap deal for striker Victor Osimhen. The Italian outfit are keen to sign striker Romelu Lukaku, who has held talks with the manager over a move to Naples.
Nigerian striker Osimhen signed a new contract with Napoli during the 2023-24 season, which included a release clause of around €120 million. The striker has handed in a transfer request at the Stadio Diego Maradona but no team is able to match his side's valuation yet.
Napoli are interested in signing Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku, who is on the books of Chelsea, this summer. The experienced striker has a £37 million valuation and has an agreement in place with the Partenopei on personal terms.
Italian publication Il Mattino has reported that Napoli have sent their terms to the Blues for the transfer of their 25-year-old striker. They want the English side to send the duo of Lukaku and Cesare Casadei to them while also paying €45 million, as per the report.
Casadei spent the first half of the 2023-24 season on loan at Leicester City before an injury crisis at Stamford Bridge forced Mauricio Pochettino to recall him to west London in January. He featured sparingly under the Argentine manager and was left out of the squad for the USA tour last month under Enzo Maresca.
Chelsea are open to letting Casadei leave the club two years after joining from Inter Milan. It remains to be seen whether they will agree to the terms being put forward by Napoli for the transfer of Osimhen this summer.
Chelsea closing in on Victor Osimhen agreement - Reports
Chelsea are nearing an agreement with Napoli ace Victor Osimhen over a transfer to the club this summer, as per Transfer News Live on X. The Nigerian striker is on the radar of the Blues, who intend to beef up their attacking options ahead of the commencement of the 2024-25 season.
Osimhen is prepared to sign a five-year deal with the Blues, which will earn him a reported £10 million annually in wages. The club also intends to allow the striker to keep 100% of his image rights as part of the deal being offered.
Paris Saint-Germain were leading the race to sign the Nigeria international weeks ago but they failed to reach an agreement with his club. The fact that Chelsea has a player Napoli manager Antonio Conte wants in Romelu Lukaku may help them in their attempt to land the reigning African Footballer of the Year.