Boost for Arsenal, Chelsea as Napoli line up €40m move for Brighton star to replace Osimhen
Julio Enciso in action for Brighton
Napoli are reportedly interested in signing Brighton and Hove Albion forward Julio Enciso as a replacement for Victor Osimhen.
The Napoli goal machine has been heavily linked with Premier League clubs such as Arsenal and Chelsea recently, who are both looking to bring in a striker in January.
Osimhen is valued at approximately £120m, though, so it would take a huge bid to lure him away from the Italian side, who think of him as a ‘club treasure.’
Real Madrid and Saudi League clubs are also interested in the Nigeria international, who scored 26 goals in 32 league appearances last season as he fired Napoli to their first Serie A title since 1990. Osimhen has started this season in a similar fashion, too, netting six in eight games so far.
Nevertheless, if Napoli’s interest in Enciso is true, it suggests that they are planning for life without Osimhen, amid the interest in his signature, which will come as a boost to all of his suitors.
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Enciso has ‘captured the attention’ of Napoli
According to reports from Spain, as cited by Sport Witness, Napoli are interested in signing Enciso should Osimhen leave the club.
The report claims that the Paraguay international has ‘captured the attention’ of the Italian giants with his recent performances for Brighton, stating that his ‘progression has been remarkable.’
Given Enciso would allegedly ‘fit perfectly into Napoli’s plan’ it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them make a move for him in January.
Brighton signed Enciso for around £10m in June 2022. Since, the 19-year-old, who can play as a striker, second striker or winger, has made 28 appearances in all competitions, scoring four goals and making five assists in the process. He is only expected to improve as he gains experience, too.
The report claims that Enciso has an estimated value of €40m (approx. £34.5m), which makes him an ‘achievable target’ for Napoli.
With that in mind, it will be interesting to see if Napoli make a bid for Enciso when the transfer window re-opens in January. But as mentioned, that could depend on whether they lose Osimhen or not.
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