Anwar Ibrahim (Cairo)
Nigerian star Victor Osimhen, 24 years old, the Italian Napoli striker, is close to extending his contract, which expires in the summer of 2025, for another year, until 2026.
The new contract allows the player to receive a significant increase in his salary, and the contract includes a penalty clause for his departure if he wants to do so in the future. No source revealed the value of the new salary or the penalty clause.
During these last two years, Osimhen was in the “focus of attention” of many major European clubs, especially after his remarkable brilliance last season, and his leadership of the team to win the Italian League championship for the first time in 33 years.
Waiting for the signing of the new contract, Osimhen, who won the African Golden Ball award this year, continues to play, as he has so far scored 8 goals in 17 matches he played in various competitions, and he is expected to participate with his country’s national team, the “Nigerian Eagles,” in the upcoming African Cup of Nations tournament. Which starts next January 13 in Côte d'Ivoire.
The situation was not rosy for Osimhen this year, 2023, as he was away from the field for more than a month due to injury, and he also entered into a dispute with his club due to broadcasting a “video” mocking him through the club’s accounts on social media, and his agent at the time threatened to sue the club, in addition to that. Osimhen had a bad relationship with the former French coach, Rudi Garcia, who was ousted, and Walter Mazzarri was appointed in his place in mid-November, which allowed for an improvement in the relationship between the player and the new coaching staff.
Club president Orlywood Lorentz himself announced during the last hours that Osimhen was close to signing a new contract, which brought relief to the members of the new technical staff, as he could rely in the upcoming matches on the player who represents the most important cadre of the team that won the league title last season.
Napoli currently occupies sixth place in the Serie A tournament, after 16 rounds, and next February it will face Barcelona in two round-trip matches in the round of 16 of the Champions League.
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