Victor Osimhen transfer request made clear as Chelsea stand firm in their stance

Victor Osimhen has handed in a transfer request to try and accelerate his exit from Napoli this summer.

Osimhen has long been touted for a big-money move away from the Italian club – and it looks as though that could finally come to pass. Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain have explored a deal for the Nigeria international, who has scored 76 goals in 133 games for Napoli.

PSG had considered Osimhen a good replacement for Kylian Mbappe after his exit to Real Madrid, but now look set to stick with Goncalo Ramos and Randal Kolo Muani. Chelsea want a striker after Nicolas Jackson endured a mixed debut season and have a bargaining chip in the form of Romelu Lukaku.

Osimhen has been left out of pre-season friendlies by Antonio Conte, who has taken a firm stance over his team’s star striker. And the 25-year-old has now kicked things up a gear by making his desire to leave public.

Speaking ahead of Napoli’s opening game of the season against Modena in the Coppa Italia, sporting director Giovanni Manna stated: "Victor Osimhen has asked to leave the club. He wants to go. The situation is clear, there were already chances for his exit last summer. Victor wants to leave. We will see in the next 20 days."

Osimhen has a €130million (£110.8m) release clause in his Napoli contract – and that has previously proved an effective barrier to his departure. But with Conte making it clear he doesn’t want Osimhen – and that he wants Lukaku as his replacement – it could prove a problem.

Conte won the Serie A title with Lukaku leading the line for Inter Milan in 2021 and is keen on a reunion with the Chelsea striker in Italy. Lukaku has been told to train with the under-21s at Cobham alongside Armando Broja and Trevoh Chalobah, who have also been transfer listed.

Chelsea have previously explored the possibility of a swap for Osimhen and Lukaku, but Osimhen is reportedly not keen on moving to Stamford Bridge. The Blues value Lukaku at €35m (£29.8m) – a fee which Napoli are currently unwilling to pay, meaning there is an impasse with 20 days left in the summer transfer window.

Enzo Maresca is closing in on the £34m signing of Samu Omorodion from Atletico Madrid and, with Chelsea having already signed 10 players this summer, Osimhen could be beyond their financial capabilities, with profit and sustainability rules to abide by.

Conte is not concerned by the Osimhen situation. Speaking to Rai Sport last month, he said: “The situation was already very clear. I was aware of it. It’s all going as planned. To me, it’s not a surprise to wait. We face every situation in the right way. As I said, first, we re-aligned, now we evaluate, and then there will be sales and new signings. The vision is very clear. There will be no problems.”