Napoli make breakthrough in race to sign Lille striker Osimhen

Napoli are on the verge of closing a deal to sign Lille striker Victor Osimhen after a breakthrough in talks, claims Gianluca Di Marzio.

The Serie A outfit have been locked in talks to sign the Nigeria international for a number of a weeks but a deal looked on brink of collapse.

Osimhen was reportedly not sold on the idea of moving to Napoli and wanted to wait to see if a transfer to the Premier League materialised.

However, Napoli have been working hard behind the scenes and are now on the brink of signing the highly rated 21-year-old in a deal worth as much as €60m (£54.4m).

Napoli will reportedly pay an initial €50m for the youngster with a further €10m owed in performance related bonuses.

Gennero Gattuso's side hope to complete Osimhen's signing by Thursday and shatter their club-transfer record in the process.

Napoli made Hirving Lozano the most expensive player in their history after agreeing a deal worth as much as €42m with PSV last summer.

The potential feee involved for Osimhen is particularly significant and could have wider implications on the transfer market.

Clubs are currently unsure how much player valuations have been impacted by the financial implications of COVID-19 but Osimhen's impending transfer to Napoli should provide a clearer indication.

Osimhen finished 2019/20 with 13 goals in 27 league appearances for Lille, chipping in with a further four assists in his debut campaign.