Victor Osimhen celebrates
PSG have reportedly identified £130m-rated Napoli striker Victor Osimhen as a potential replacement for Kylian Mbappe when he leaves the club this summer.
Mbappe informed the Ligue 1 champions earlier this week that he will not be extending his contract beyond the end of the season, leaving Real Madrid as the favourites to land the 25-year-old.
Attention has already turned to who could fill the void left behind by Mbappe, and Osimhen is a leading contender on PSG’s shortlist, according to The Athletic.
A deal for Osimhen is unlikely to be cheap, though, with the Nigerian star rated at around £130million by Napoli.
He has been linked with a move to the Premier League, with Chelsea and Arsenal reportedly monitoring his situation, but PSG could now jump the queue to secure his signature.
Mbappe has informed PSG that he will be leaving when his contract expires this summer
Osimhen revealed last month that he has already made a decision on his future, and he is expected to leave Napoli this summer, despite having a contract with the Serie A club that runs until 2026.
He joined Napoli in 2020 from Lille, and has been a key player for them over the past four seasons.
The 25-year-old played a starring role in their title-winning campaign last term, netting 26 goals in 32 appearances as Luciano Spalletti’s men claimed Napoli’s first league triumph in 33 years.
But this season has been a bitterly disappointing one for the Italian side following the departure of Spalletti last summer.
Napoli find themselves down in ninth place, 25 points adrift of leaders Inter Milan, and changed coach in November when they replaced Rudi Garcia with Walter Mazzarri.
This came after Osimhen was visibly furious with Garcia for substituting him during a 0-0 draw with Bologna in September.
Osimhen was then mocked by his own club on social media after they posted a TikTok video of his reaction to missing a penalty in that game, with the clip also comparing him to a ‘coconut’.
Napoli subsequently apologised for sharing the video and Osimhen has remained at the club but this could be his final season in Italy if PSG follow up on their initial interest.
He has just returned to Italy after representing Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations, with the Super Eagles making it all the way to the final before losing to hosts Ivory Coast.
-MailOnline
