Napoli 'working on' Victor Osimhen solution with Chelsea transfer 'blocked'
- Victor Osimhen's exit from Napoli remains 'blocked' due to complications
- Chelsea have long targeted the Nigeria international striker
- Romelu Lukaku is wanted by former Blues boss Antonio Conte
Napoli continue to "work" on sealing Victor Osimhen's exit from the club this summer, although a transfer for the long-term Chelsea target is currently "blocked", according to the club's sporting director.
Having scored 76 goals for Napoli since arriving in 2020, Osimhen is yet to play for the club across two games so far this season as he hopes to secure a move.
Chelsea have been on Osimhen's tail since the autumn of 2022, although Napoli have always demanded a premium price for the Nigeria international. More recently, there has been talk of Romelu Lukaku, who remains a Chelsea player, joining Napoli as part of an overall deal that would see the Blues still needing to cough up around £60m for Osimhen.
Concerns towards the overall cost of the deal have seen things stall, however, with Chelsea expected to wait until the late stages of the transfer window before trying to get an agreement over the line.
"It's an objective fact, what the coach [Antonio Conte] said, the situation is blocked," Napoli chief Giovanni Manna told Sky Sport Italia.
"Victor is an important player, with an important value and conditions. His desire is clear. We tried to maintain the integrity of the squad at this moment. We are not the only club in this situation and we’ll see what happens over the next ten days.
"At this time, it is not right to say what sensations there are. We are working with his entourage to find the best solution. As we said, he is an important player, so it's not that we can just find him anywhere [to play]. He is under contract for another two seasons, so clearly if we don't find a solution by 30 August, we’ll have to talk to the player."
Chelsea have been looking to add another striker to their squad this summer. So far, only 18-year-old Marc Guiu has arrived from Barcelona, with a proposed £34.5m deal for Atletico Madrid's Samu Omorodion collapsing, despite a fee being agreed between the clubs.
The Blues have since been linked with former loan player Joao Felix once more, while the knock-on effect has delayed Conor Gallagher's already agreed transfer to Atletico.
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