Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has warned Chelsea and other potential suitors that Victor Osimhen won’t leave on the cheap this summer.

It has been suggested that the Serie A champions will hold out for the full €130m (£111m) which is stated as the the release clause in his contract and De Laurentiis has heavily hinted that will be the case:

“Osimhen is a great player and everyone knows it. We had many legends like Higuain, Cavani, Lavezzi, Mertens. Many players fell in love with Napoli, this is a wonderful place. Some stayed like Hamsik for 11 years or others for 8. There are still others who are attracted by Real Madrid, Arsenal, PSG, Manchester City, Chelsea.”

“These teams have a lot of money and when they want players it is difficult to keep them. Especially when your players have a very high release clause. Osimhen? Yes, he has a release clause and the price is very high. Will he stay? We’ll see who will leave. Money is Napoli’s last problem. We have made excellent signings and as happened in the past we will do so in the future too. These are sentimental problems: when a player leaves it’s like saying goodbye to a son. But you’re also happy if this son is successful wherever he goes.”

Chelsea may need to get creative to comply with the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules

It is thought that the Blues will find it difficult to spend £111m in one lump sum to secure Osimhen’s signature. Their preference would be to pay in installments in order to avoid any punishment for breaking Premier League financial regulations.

However, the club may consider selling players to balance the books to make a move possible. The likes of Conor Gallagher, Trevoh Chalobah, Raheem Sterling and (potentially) Noni Madueke could be sold at the end of the season.

Alternatives for Osimhen are being considered

If the Nigerian international proves too costly, it is believed that Chelsea have identified at least two other strikers they could pursue instead.

Brentford’s Ivan Toney and Brighton’s Evan Ferguson are said to be on the club’s radar. Out of the two, the former would be the cheapest as he will have less than a year remaining on his contract.