The agent of Chelsea target Victor Osimhen has broken his silence over Napoli's attempts to offload the striker, demanding "respect and balance" for his client as his transfer saga rumbles on.
The 25-year-old is currently left in limbo after falling out of favour at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, although the Italian club are refusing to let him leave unless their terms are met.
Chelsea are interested in signing the Nigeria international but they are determined not to be held to ransom for Osimhen, and the Premier League side would prefer to explore a loan deal.
Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli have reportedly submitted a £55million offer on Sunday to complicate the situation, according to Fabrizio Romano.
In response, the player's agent Roberto Calenda has released an explosive statement which might boost the west London club's chances of signing him after hinting he is only interested in staying in Europe, which could scupper a switch to Saudi Arabia.
Calenda appeared to take aim at the Partenopei for trying to offload the striker to the highest bidder when he rejected "important offers" to sign a new contract.
Osimhen è un giocatore del Napoli, con un contratto rinnovato recentemente con reciproca soddisfazione. Ha fatto la storia in azzurro e quando ci sono state offerte importanti (anche quest’anno) abbiamo sempre accettato le decisioni del club.
— Roberto Calenda (@RobertoCalenda) August 26, 2024
Come ho già detto non è un pacco…
"Osimhen is a Napoli player, with a contract recently renewed to our mutual satisfaction," Calenda wrote, posting on his X account.
"He made history in Azzurri and when there were important offers (including this year) we always accepted the club's decisions. As I have already said, he is not a parcel to be sent far away to make room for new prophets.
"Victor was elected African player of the year, eighth at the Ballon d'Or, he still has a lot to say in Europe. Respect and balance are needed."
Chelsea have a long-standing interest in snapping up the target man, who bagged 15 goals in 25 Serie A appearances last season. But after splashing out around £220million on 11 new signings, funds will be limited for Osimhen until they offload unwanted players such as Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell and Trevoh Chalobah.
Calenda's reference to "new prophets" may well relate to three deals Napoli have lined up - all from Premier League clubs - as former Chelsea and Tottenham boss Antonio Conte lines up a triple transfer deal.
Romelu Lukaku is close to finalising a £33m (€40m) switch to reunite with Conte in Naples, which is comprised of an initial £21m fee and £12m in add-ons. His move could hand Chelsea the funds to make a late bid for Osimhen, as he continues to stall over personal terms with Al-Ahli.
Napoli are also closing in on a deal for Scotland internationals Scott McTominay and Billy Gilmour from Manchester United and Brighton respectively. McTominay is holding talks over a £25m move to the Italian outfit, while Gilmour is expected to join him in an £18m transfer.