£100m transfer summit confirmed amid Chelsea and Arsenal interest as Aston Villa eye £17m boost

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The 3AM take on the latest transfer speculation from the Premier League and beyond.

Reports in Italy have suggested Chelsea and Arsenal’s interest in Napoli striker Victor Osimhen could soon be ended by Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain.

The Nigeria striker has been an overwhelming success since he moved to Naples in a £34m deal from Lille during the summer of 2020 and has gone on to score 76 goals and provide 18 assists in 133 appearances in all competitions during his time at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium. However, with speculation over his future continuing to dominate the headlines, news outlet Il Matino have claimed Napoli chairman Aurelio De Laurenitis has flown to Paris in an attempt to persuade PSG counterpart Nasser Al-Khelaifi to pay over £100m for the striker.

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Napoli are reportedly making contingency plans as they prepare for life without Osimhen as the 2023/24 Serie A champions consider a move for Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku and Girona’s Artem Dovbyk as possible replacements. Osimhen has already opened up on his future with Napoli and seemed to drop a not so subtle hint over how he views the Premier League, despite admitting he was happy just to see the season out, rather than paying attention to transfer speculation.

Speaking earlier this year, he told CBS Sports: "The rumours are going round about me being linked with the Premier League. Of course, when you are one of the hottest strikers in the globe, you expect this type of thing. (The) EPL is one of the biggest and best league’s in the whole world. I’m at Napoli, I signed a new contract, I’m enjoying my time there, going through it with the team. At the end of the season, I’ve already made up my mind, I already know what I want to do with my career. I have my plan already for the next step I want to take. For now, I just want to finish the season strong and go relax somewhere with my daughter, think about my life and finally come out with the decision I’ve already made.”

The 3AM Verdict: After what was an underwhelming season for Napoli as they failed to build on the Serie A title win - so it would not be a surprise if Osimhen is at least willing to listen to offers from elsewhere.  PSG may well be used as a bartering tool by Napoli - and that is why Chelsea and Arsenal should probably pay little attention to these reports.

Villa open to £17m surprise sale

Aston Villa are reportedly ‘open’ to the sale of a key defender as they prepare to for their Champions League adventure.

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Unai Emery’s side saw off the challenges of the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United to claim a top four finish and will return to European football’s top table for the first time since 1983 when the new season gets underway in August. However, there have been suggestions Emery may have to sell a player to help Villa avoid falling foul of UEFA’s financial fair play regulations.

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Italian news outlet CalcioMercato have reported Serie A giants AC Milan have entered into discussions with Villa over a possible £17m deal for Poland international Matty Cash after initially holding talks over a move for Villa’s Brazilian midfielder Douglas Luiz. The report reveals the two clubs have held two ‘summits’ in recent days with one taking place in Milan last week and a second being held in London over the weekend.

The 3AM Verdict: If it is indeed true that Villa do need to sell a player to avoid any FFP punishment, then there should be a severe overview of the regulations. Just as with Newcastle 12 months ago, Villa performed above all expectations to claim a place in the Champions League and it seems cruel that they should be forced to sell a player with the riches of European football’s premier club competition lying in wait.

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