Victor Osimhen could take legal action against Napoli for a TikTok video posted on their club account, which has convinced Chelsea to keep up their pursuit of the striker, according to reports.
Osimhen missed a penalty for Napoli in their goalless draw with Bologna over the weekend. Remarkably, his employers used their own official Twitter account to clip up a video effectively mocking the striker for his failure to convert the effort from 12 yards.
His agent, Roberto Calenda, has since threatened to sue Napoli for the ‘very serious damage’ that has been caused.
Calenda said: “What happened today on Napoli’s official profile on the TikTok platform is not acceptable. A video mocking Victor was first made public and then, but now belatedly, deleted.
“A serious fact that causes very serious damage to the player and adds to the treatment that the boy is suffering in the last period between media trials and fake news.
“We reserve the right to take legal action and any useful initiative to protect Victor.”
Amid the drama, a report from talkSPORT has suggested Chelsea could take this opportunity to accelerate their attempt to sign Osimhen.
Mauricio Pochettino wants a high-profile new no.9 to lead the line for Chelsea while summer signing Nicolas Jackson keeps developing. After his 31-goal, title-winning season last time out, Osimhen is one of the most in-form players in the world that meets their criteria.
Napoli efforts to keep Osimhen might have been for nothing
Napoli did well to resist interest in him over the summer, but his contract there will only have 18 months remaining on it by the time the next transfer window opens. Thus, even aside from the fall-out, there could be increasing pressure on the Serie A champions to cash in.
Osimhen will have recently turned 25 years old when the January transfer window opens. He is at an ideal age to take the next step in his career and it could bring him to the Premier League for the first time in a career that has also previously seen him play in the Bundesliga and Ligue 1.
The question is whether or not Chelsea will have enough appeal as a destination after missing out on European qualification and struggling for consistency at the start of the Mauricio Pochettino era.
