The Juventus hierarchy have dropped a major piece of Victor Osimhen transfer news ahead of the summer, with the thought-to-be frontrunners now not pursuing a deal.
Victor Osimhen Transfer News: Juventus Out of the Race
Just as it appeared a move within Serie A was on the cards, one of the summer’s most hotly anticipated transfer sagas has been blown wide open once again.
It was reported last week that Juventus were readying an €85m offer to lure Victor Osimhen to Turin, with parent club Napoli ready to sanction a sale upon his return in the summer.
The Nigerian international’s bitter exit from Napoli saw the club stand firm on their €100m-plus valuation last season, which forced Osimhen to make a temporary stop-gap at Galatasaray on loan for the current campaign, where he has continued his breathless goalscoring form.
With the relationship between club and player almost completely broken, Juventus were thought as frontrunners for his signature, given their well-documented need for a consistent striker.
Osimhen has a €75m release clause, which is only eligible to clubs outside of Italy, so Juve’s €85m proposed offer represented a significant jump to sway their Serie A rivals.
However, Old Lady sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli has this week revealed that rumours of the club’s interest are wide of the mark.
“I am not interested in Osimhen,” Giuntoli said.
“The rumours that you read in the Italian media are only to put pressure on us. Juventus does not want the player.”
For all Napoli’s desperation to offload a problem player, reports in Italy also claim they were willing to do everything in their power to stop Osimhen from moving to one of their direct rivals.
Juventus relinquishing interest opens the door for a host of potential suitors, including long-time admirers Chelsea, Manchester United and PSG.
As for Juventus, their priorities lie in bolstering their defensive line, which has been decimated by a spate of end-of-season injuries.
Juve have also been strongly linked to a cheaper attacking option, with Atalanta’s Serie A top scorer Mateo Retegui admired.
