Napoli star forward, Victor Osimhen, has officially handed in a transfer request, signaling his desire to leave the club this summer.

The news comes amid ongoing speculation linking the 25-year-old with a move to Chelsea, with Paris Saint-Germain also reportedly interested.

The situation escalated after Osimhen was notably absent from Napoli’s matchday squad for their Coppa Italia clash against Modena on Saturday.

Despite training with his teammates, the prolific striker was excluded from both the starting lineup and the bench, fueling rumors of an impending transfer.

Napoli’s sporting director, Giovanni Manna, confirmed Osimhen’s request in a pre-match interview. “He asked to leave,” Manna stated.

“We are calm because we have players in the squad who can replace him in the best way.

“However, we do not want to harm the integrity of the group and want to preserve it. We will see what will happen in the next few days.”

This development intensifies the transfer saga that has surrounded Osimhen throughout the summer.

Chelsea, keen to bolster their attacking options, have been closely monitoring the situation and are hopeful of securing a deal that could see Romelu Lukaku head to Napoli as part of the agreement.

Meanwhile, PSG’s attempts to land the Nigerian forward have stalled, leaving the door open for Chelsea to make their move.

Osimhen, who was the top scorer in Serie A for the 2022/23 season, has been a key player for Napoli.

However, his exclusion from recent pre-season friendlies and now the Coppa Italia match suggests that a departure could be imminent.

With three weeks remaining in the transfer window, the situation is expected to reach a conclusion soon.

Napoli will be keen to resolve Osimhen’s future to maintain squad harmony as they prepare for the start of the Serie A season next week.