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Peter Akinbo.
English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur have joined the race to sign Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The Nigeria international has enjoyed a positive start to the 2022/23 campaign with Serie A giants Napoli, scoring four goals and providing one assist in eight appearances.
Osimhen’s three goals in six Serie A games have helped the Partenopei storm to the top of the table as they aim to maintain a charge for the Scudetto, although he missed six weeks of the season with a hamstring injury.
The ex-Lille man came in off the bench to chip in with the winning goal in last week’s 3-2 success over Bologna, and he ended the 2021/22 season with 18 goals and six assists from 32 games in all tournaments.
Napoli can afford to make demands in negotiations with interested parties, as Osimhen’s contract does not expire until 2025, but he is expected to be at the heart of a transfer tussle next year.
The likes of Manchester United and Chelsea are believed to be interested in a deal for the 23-year-old, while Arsenal were also linked before striking a deal for Gabriel Jesus.
Now, Calciomercato claims that Tottenham are also plotting a move for Osimhen, who has been recommended to Fabio Paratici by Antonio Conte.
The report claims that Conte is set to be working with a budget of €200m (£174.4m), but a move for Osimhen could eat into at least half of that war chest.
As a result, the Nigerian is supposedly earmarked as a secondary option for the Lilywhites, who are reluctant to spend more than €100m (£87.2m) on one player.
Bayern Munich are also said to be keeping tabs on Osimhen, who is more interested in a club’s sporting project and his prospects of getting regular starts rather than a lucrative paycheck.