Manchester United and Chelsea have struggled to compete for trophies on a consistent basis in recent years.
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Manchester United and Chelsea could be forced to admit defeat in the race to sign Napoli forward Victor Osimhen, who has said that he only wants to play for teams with the ability to win titles on a consistent basis.
Osimhen has emerged as one of Europe’s most feared strikers in recent years and played a major role in helping Napoli to win Serie A last season with 26 goals in 32 matches.
The 24-year-old’s incredible form is widely reported to have sparked interest from United and Chelsea, who are thought to be in the market for strikers to improve their attacking options ahead of next season.
However, it seems as though Osimhen will only consider joining clubs in the hunt for regular trophies after revealing that he feels ‘addicted’ to winning silverware off the back of his stellar campaign at Napoli.
“I’m so proud that I am actually a Scudetto winner, for me, it’s a huge one,” he told Nigerian outlet Soccernet. “Whatsoever honour that comes after this, I will welcome it and I am really working hard to make sure, and now I am addicted to trophies because now the Scudetto is my first trophy as a pro. Now I’m addicted, and I can’t wait for the new season to come.”
United won their last trophy back in February when they lifted the Carabao Cup after beating Newcastle in the final, a result which marked the end of a six-year wait for major honours.
They have not won the Premier League since they were managed by Sir Alex Ferguson, though, while their last Champions League triumph came in 2008.
Chelsea, meanwhile, have tasted recent success in Europe by winning UEFA’s premier club competition in 2021, with the Blues going on to lift the Super Cup and Club World Cup the following year.
However, they are currently miles off the pace both domestically and in Europe after slumping to a bottom-half finish in the Premier League last season.
It would seem that United and Chelsea will have little chance of signing Osimhen this summer based on his latest comments, although it remains to be seen if he would be willing to leave Napoli for any club at all.
He went on to insist that he is perfectly settled in his current surroundings, which suggests that he would quite happily remain in Naples for at least the next few years.
“There’s no better place to be than this place,” added Osimhen. “I am so happy I made the right choice by coming here, and achieving this kind of greatness with the Neapolitans is something that I will wake up and always smile about. My children’s children will come into this world and realise that their father has done something amazing.”
Napoli are reportedly looking to tie Osimhen down to a new and improved contract over the coming weeks, with his current deal set to expire in the summer of 2025 as things stand.
It would not be a surprise to see him extend his stay at the club if he is as happy as he says he is, which could spell trouble for the likes of United and Chelsea further down the line if Napoli decide to include a mammoth release clause in any new agreement.
