Victor Osimhen 'to take time with future amid Liverpool, Chelsea links'

Since arriving in Naples in 2020, Osimhen has put together a legendary spell at the Serie A giants, contributing 65 goals and 15 assists from his 111 appearances in all competitions.

His performances heavily contributed to Napoli winning the top-flight crown during 2022-23, but things have soon started to turn sour.

Earlier this campaign, Napoli's official TikTok account mocked the Nigeria international over a missed penalty and made a comment in a separate video that could be perceived to be a racial slur.

Napoli officials stopped short of apologising, instead saying that the video was 'not meant to offend', and Osimhen has since continued to represent the first team.

Before sustaining a hamstring injury that will keep him sidelined until November, the 24-year-old chipped in with six strikes and one assist from his 10 appearances in Serie A and the Champions League.

Nevertheless, with just over 18 months remaining on his contract, speculation persists regarding a future transfer to the Premier League.

As it stands, it appears that the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea are most likely to pursue a deal, while Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur have the potential to come into the equation.

However, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Osimhen has no intention of making an immediate decision over where he will play his football from 2024-25 onwards.

Speaking on his official YouTube channel, Romano says that no agreement is close to being in place with any club, whether that be Napoli or an interested suitor.

The report is not necessarily a surprise with Napoli unlikely to contemplate cashing in on Osimhen during the January transfer window, particularly when their title defence has not started as they would have hoped.

Leaders Inter Milan already possess a five-point gap over Napoli, who are fourth in the standings and have only prevailed in three of their last six fixtures.

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis recently came out publicly to deny that he shared a 'frosty relationship' with Osimhen, but alluded to Kalidou Koulibaly being sold with a year left on his contract, like will be the case with Osimhen from July.