Lille president confirms Victor Osimhen is close to Napoli transfer

Lille president Gerard Lopez has confirmed that Victor Osimhen is close to making the switch to the Serie A with Napoli. The Nigeria international had a good debut season with the French outfit where he managed 18 goals and six assists across all competitions and he is now set to pursue a fresh challenge in the Italian top-flight.

Negotiations between the sides have been ongoing over the past few weeks and Lopez has confirmed that the deal is close to completion. Meanwhile, Lopez revealed that the club have received offers from other European sides during this period and he has preferred to listen to them despite the fact that Osimhen is on his way to Naples.

He told: "It's advanced, details are missing. It will be announced when the time comes. As it's not yet official, we continue to have other offers. I want to keep good relations with these clubs too. So I manage their expectations. It is a transfer which is not linear. The market in France opened before closing (until August 15). In Italy, the transfer window opens in September. So you need a multitude of contracts to cover all eventualities, for example penalties."
Napoli were left disappointed during the 2019 summer transfer window when they were in advanced negotiations to sign Nicolas Pepe from Lille before Arsenal hijacked the deal. As a result, they have sought to seal the agreement at the earliest possibility and reports claim that the player has already agreed terms over a five-year contract.
It was previously suggested that Lille could demand around £72m for Osimhen, but following weeks of negotiations, they have reportedly agreed on an initial £45m package with Napoli. The Serie A outfit may have to pay another £18m depending on the conditions of the performance-based add-ons. Osimhen won’t officially join Napoli until the Italian transfer window reopens on September 1.