Italian giants Juventus are reportedly preparing a move for Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen, with plans to include defender Federico Gatti in the deal to convince Napoli to negotiate.
According to Italian daily Tuttosport, Juve have identified Osimhen as a key target for their attacking rebuild but recognise the difficulty of prying him away from their Serie A rivals.
Napoli, under new coach Antonio Conte, are reluctant to sell the Nigerian forward, who played a pivotal role in their 2022-23 Scudetto-winning campaign.
However, Juventus are hoping to exploit Conte’s admiration for Gatti, offering the Italian centre-back as part of the deal.
Conte reportedly wants to strengthen Napoli’s defense and sees Gatti and Torino’s Alessandro Buongiorno as ideal reinforcements.
Osimhen, 26, remains one of Europe’s most sought-after strikers, and Juventus see him as the perfect fit for their attack, especially with Dusan Vlahovic likely to depart and ongoing talks with Paris Saint-Germain over extending Randal Kolo Muani’s loan.
The Nigeria international has continued his fine form this season, netting 20 goals in 22 league appearances during his loan spell at Galatasaray.
However, Napoli are expected to demand a substantial transfer fee, which could make negotiations challenging despite Juventus’ attempt to sweeten the deal with Gatti.
With several top European clubs also monitoring Osimhen, the coming months could see an intense transfer battle for the Super Eagles star.
