EXPLAINED: Why Napoli slap hefty prize tag on Victor Osimhen

Italian journalist Massimo Marianella has given reasons why Napoli placed a hefty price tag on Victor Osimhen during this summer transfer window.

The 24-year-old is one of Europe’s hottest commodities, having fired Napoli to their first Scudetto in 33 years.

With 31 goals in 39 games across all competitions, Osimhen showed himself to be one of the continent’s deadliest forwards, a position of need for many a European giant.

The Nigerian has been linked repeatedly with the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and, more recently, Paris Saint-Germain who are beginning to plan for life without Kylian Mbappe.

However, the biggest roadblock to any potential deal has always been the asking fee as Napoli have slammed a heavy price tag on the former Lille man.

Initially put at €100 million, then €120m, the Partenopeans now appear to be asking for as much as €150m as his transfer demand seemingly continued to rise as the months have gone on.

Meanwhile, Napoli are trying to tie Osimhen down to another contract. They want to extend his contract till 2027.

However, Marianella believes the club have fixed the price because they expect Osimhen’s suitors to try and beat down the price.

“Napoli, over the years, has always been good at replacing the extraordinary strikers who have left”, he told Tutto Napoli.

“I heard that De Laurentiis values ​​Osimhen 150 million, it seems a lot to me, but it could be the starting price.

“If a club comes along and offers you 100-110, what do you do? It’s difficult to say, but I think De Laurentiis shoots 150 million and then reaches 110.

“Having a healthy balance sheet must be considered a value, not as much as the Scudetto, but we are not far away.”