Juventus have been linked with a bold attempt to secure Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen from Napoli. However, the path to signing Osimhen is fraught with complications.
According to Rai’s Ciro Venerato, as reported via Tuttomercatoweb, Juventus cannot simply activate Osimhen’s €75-80 million release clause as that option is reserved only for clubs outside of Italy.
This scenario mirrors the high-profile transfer of Gonzalo Higuain from Napoli to Juventus years ago, but under different circumstances.
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The complexity arises because Serie A clubs can’t benefit from the fixed sum clause, meaning Juventus would have to engage in direct negotiations with Napoli, a club not particularly inclined to favor dealings with their rivals from Turin.
Such negotiations might even result in an outright refusal from Napoli to let Osimhen join Juventus.
This potential transfer would require Juventus to offload their current Serbian striker, Dusan Vlahovic, whose contract is set to expire in 2026, and there has been little progress in extension talks.
Selling Vlahovic would provide the necessary funds and space in the squad for a move like Osimhen’s.
However, regarding Osimhen, Napoli director Giovanni Manna has cooled down speculation, stating to DAZN before the recent Lazio match (via Goal), “We haven’t talked with anybody. We are discussing him even too much in my mind. There’s absolutely nothing going on at the moment.
“We’re focused on the pitch, and we have made many deals in the summer. As always, we’ll be ready if we need to do something more in January. However, we’re not reasoning on this kind of thing at the moment.”
While the Osimhen deal seems to be on the back burner, Juventus might have a more feasible target in Joshua Zirkzee, the Dutch striker who has just returned to form at Manchester United.
Yet, the primary focus for the Bianconeri in the January transfer window appears to be reinforcing their defense. Names like David Hancko and Antonio Silva have been at the forefront of Juventus’ scouting reports.
Before Juventus became the talk of the town regarding Osimhen, Paris Saint-Germain were also rumored to be in the mix for the Nigerian forward, indicating his high demand in the transfer market.
