Chelsea get worrying Victor Osimhen transfer update as Napoli chief opens up on 'blocked' move

Napoli's sporting director Giovanni Manna has backed former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte's claim that the situation around the Blues' potential deal for striker Victor Osimhen is currently 'blocked'.

The Blues have long-held interest in the Nigeria international and Manna has held talks with Chelsea officials in London where the two parties have been negotiating a deal earlier in the week. Osimhen was a vital part of Napoli's Serie A title-winning campaign in the 2022/23 season after he netted 26 league goals in 32 appearances, before netting 15 in 25 matches in an injury-struck season last term.

This summer has seen Osimhen hand in a transfer request, leading to constant rumours surrounding a potential move to the Premier League as the Blues look set to utilise out-of-favour striker Romelu Lukaku in order to help achieve an agreement between the two clubs.

This has led to a lot of frustration from Conte's side however, as it's clear he assumed that by the start of the season he would have Lukaku, who is said to be one of his top targets, to work with. In a press conference earlier this week, the Italian claimed: "I will not talk about the players who are not part of the Napoli squad. You all know full well the Osimhen situation was already there when I arrived and will be dealt with exclusively by the club.

"I did not get into the situation. You all know that the transfer market is very complicated and [the deal is] currently blocked. I cannot say any more than that."

Now Manna has taken Conte's claims one step further, indicating that while Osimhen does have a desire to leave, it's ultimately up to the club to oversee his departure and that they're not planning on just selling him to whoever in order to get the cash as soon as possible for him.

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He told Sky Sports Italia: "It’s an objective fact, what the coach said, the situation is blocked. Victor is an important player, with an important value and conditions. His desire is clear. We tried to maintain the integrity of the squad at this moment. We are not the only club in this situation and we’ll see what happens over the next 10 days.

"At this time, it is not right to say what sensations there are. We are working with his entourage to find the best solution. As we said, he is an important player, so it’s not that we can just find him anywhere [to play].

"He is under contract for another two seasons, so clearly if we don’t find a solution by August 30, we’ll have to talk to the player."

What this means for the Blues' attempt at securing Osimhen is unclear, but positive talks were held between the two sides earlier in the week which has led to some declaring that the Blues are leading the race for the Nigeria international.

Former Chelsea pair John Obi Mikel and Didier Drogba have also both been texting Osimhen in order to try and corral him to join the club, but reports have now suggested that the star could reject Chelsea in order to secure a 'dream' move to Paris Saint-Germain this summer.