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By Joe Apu
Nigeria and Napoli striker Victor Osimhen has officially signed a new contract with the Italian Serie A champions to June 2026 ending speculations about his future with Arsenal and Chelsea in the English Premiership.
According to footballitalia.net, the news of the signing was announced by the Club President Aurelio De Laurentiis.
The patron had already hinted at the deal Friday night when telling TG1 it could be ‘the surprise gift under the Christmas Tree’ for his fans.
As is tradition at Napoli, De Laurentiis took control of the announcement himself, posting the images of Osimhen signing the paperwork with only one word: ‘Done!’
According to reports including Sky Sport Italia, Fabrizio Romano and more, Osimhen will increase his salary to €10m per season after tax.
There will also be the inclusion of a release clause, believed to be set at €120-130m, valid only for clubs outside of Italy during the summer.
Arsenal, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are unlikely to be put off by that kind of asking price.
Napoli paid €75m plus bonuses to sign Osimhen from Lille in September 2020 and he helped them win the Scudetto, becoming the first ever African Capocannoniere of Serie A and African Player of the Year.
Osimhen, who made headlines in Italy and also for his contribution in the Super Eagles jersey, won the CAF African Player of the Year for the first time beating Morocco’s Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi and Egypt’s Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah.
The 24-year-old has been in fine form for Napoli in the past 12 months guiding the Serie A club to their first league victory in 33 years and scoring a league-high 26 goals in 32 Serie A games last season, and 31 goals across all competitions.
His impressive performance in Italy saw him win the Serie A Best Striker, Paolo Rossi and Italian Footballers’ Association Player of The Year awards.
He also received a nomination for the Ballon d’Or and is in the running for the Globe Soccer award.
The Super Eagles striker helped Nigeria qualify for the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’ Ivoire and finished the qualification series as top scorer with 10 goals.
