Lille Owner Admits Truth to Victor Osimhen Rumours Amid Extensive Premier League Interest
LOSC Lille owner Gerard Lopez has been playing it coy over star striker Victor Osimhen this weekend, admitting that there are 'multiple offers' on the table...but refusing to reveal who from.
Osimhen arrived at the French side last summer, and his record in front of goal has seen him pick up where Nicolas Pepe left off. He's netted 13 goals in 27 Ligue 1 appearances, and garnered major interest in the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A.
Real Madrid were once thought to be leading the pack, but reports in May claimed that the player is keen on a move to England - reports which were followed up by some strange quotes from Osimhen's agent about how he would only move to Tottenham if Harry Kane left.
Victor Osimhen's agent, Ariyo Igbayilola, has insisted that the Nigerian will not be joining Spurs unless Harry Kane leaves the club.
— Ayodeji Ayodeji (@AyodejiX2) May 30, 2020
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“We told Mourinho that if he wants Victor, will Kane be leaving?"
“He needs a club where he will always play full games week in, week out." pic.twitter.com/Yk4bHNVt8q
In any case, Lopez doesn't predict he will have a hard time generating interest in the prolific Nigerian, as he claims the club have already chased off offers from England and Spain.
"There are multiple offers," he said, as quoted by the Mail. "We turned down one English and one Spanish offer this January transfer window.
"There is a wide array [this summer] and I wouldn't want to give the names of the clubs who are bidding but what I can tell you is that there are multiple [offers]. There are three championships that have clubs that have bid for him."
The manner in which Lopez is keeping his cards close to his chest might suggest he is bluffing - fictionalising interest in order to smoke out a potential bidder.
He points to a similar situation with Pepe last summer, however, in which similar quotes from him were construed in that way, only for the club to go on and receive a club record €80m fee from Arsenal - leaving those sceptics with a little egg on their face.
A fee close to €70m has been mooted for Osimhen this time around, and Lopez reckons that is in the ballpark of reality.
"I am not being a sales guy because last year people didn't believe that we had the offers we had with Nicolas Pepe and it turns out we had multiple of them," he said.
"Let me tell you with Osimhen, it is the same thing, whatever number you heard, the high number I have read is very much on the money of the offers that we have received. That's where we are.'"
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