Chelsea have reportedly received some encouragement in their bid to sign Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, whom the Italian giants are willing to lower their asking price for.
Partenopei president Aurelio de Laurentiis has resigned himself to losing Osimhen to one of Europe's most esteemed clubs this summer, although he is digging his heels in over a fee.
Osimhen agreed a new contract with Napoli in December, but those terms only run until the summer of 2026, and there is reportedly a release clause of around £113m included in the agreement.
Up until now, De Laurentiis has insisted that the nine-figure sum be paid in full should an interested party wish to prise Osimhen away from Naples, leading Chelsea to cool their interest.
However, as Napoli are now managed by Antonio Conte - who is supposedly keen to reunite with Blues outcast Romelu Lukaku - talk of Osimhen going in the other direction has been reignited.
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Napoli 'willing to accept £84.7m' for Osimhen
At this stage, there is nothing to suggest that Osimhen and Lukaku could form part of the same deal, but there is every chance that they could head opposite ways in two separate transactions.
According to Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport, both Chelsea and Napoli are prepared to lower their demands for their respective strikers, with the latter open to bids of around €100m (£84.7m) for Osimhen.
In return, Chelsea will supposedly not insist that the Serie A side meet their original asking price of £37.5m and could instead accept anything between €20m (£16.9m) and €25m (£21.1m).
However, the Blues may still feel that Napoli's demands are excessive, and for that reason, Enzo Maresca's side are perusing the market for younger and cheaper alternatives to Osimhen.
Chelsea have already poached Marc Guiu from Barcelona for a paltry £5m and have also signed Omari Kellyman from Aston Villa, but they have reportedly had two bids turned down for Atletico Madrid's Samu Omorodion
Who are Chelsea competing with to sign Osimhen?
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News of Napoli potentially offering Chelsea a discount could alert other Osimhen suitors, namely Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain, both of whom have also been strongly linked with a summer approach.
The Gunners' search for a new number nine has been well-documented, but at £84.7m, they are also highly unlikely to bow to Napoli's demands and could even end the window without bringing in a number nine.
In contrast, PSG - on the lookout for a permanent Kylian Mbappe replacement - would have no qualms over that price tag, and they are still considered the favourites for Osimhen at this moment in time.
Clubs in Saudi Arabia - in particular Al-Ahli - are also thought to be keeping a close eye on the situation, but the 25-year-old's preference is to remain in Europe for a little while longer.
Osimhen has registered 76 goals and 18 assists in 133 games for Napoli, who forked out £65.6m to sign him from Lille in 2020 and are determined to make a profit on that sizeable sum.
Ben Knapton
