Saudi Arabia will lead the pursuit of Victor Osimhen with Real Madrid also interested, but Chelsea may struggle to afford his wages – as a January move beckons for the Napoli star after his agent threatened legal action over TikTok videos

• Victor Osimhen’s future at Napoli is in doubt after controversial TikTok videos 
• Osimhen is reportedly considering taking legal action against his own club 
• Mail Sport’s new WhatsApp Channel: Get the breaking news and exclusives here 

Saudi Arabian clubs will lead the pursuit of Victor Osimhen should he push for a move away from Napoli in January after his agent threatened legal action against the club over controversial TikTok videos.

Osimhen’s future has been plunged into doubt over TikTok videos published and since deleted by the reigning Italian champions.

One video centered around his penalty miss during Sunday’s goalless draw against Bologna.

It was a rare miss for the Nigerian who has scored 62 goals in 107 appearances for the Serie A side, yet the video appeared to mock him for his attempts to persuade for the penalty to be given.

The video showed the 24-year-old appealing for a penalty, but using a strange sped-up voice with the caption ‘Gimme penalty please’ before showing him blazing the spot-kick wide of the post.

Saudi Arabian clubs will lead the pursuit of Napoli striker Victor Osimhen in January

Osimhen’s future has been plunged into doubt after Napoli posted controversial TikTok videos

One video showed him appealing for the penalty using a strange sped-up voice and the caption ‘Gimme penalty, please’ (left) before blazing the penalty wide of the post (right) 

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A second video allegedly from the club’s account, which has been circulated online and since deleted, compared Osimhen to a ‘coconut’ – widely viewed as a racial slur.

Osimhen’s agent Roberto Calenda is threatening legal action against the club, with the rift adding to speculation he could push for a move away from the club.

Mail Sport understands Saudi Arabian clubs will lead the chase to land Osimhen should he be available in the January transfer window.

Saudi Pro League clubs spent heavily during the summer transfer window, attracting stars such as Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante and Aymeric Laporte to the nation.

Real Madrid also hold an interest in Osimhen as the Spanish giants seek reinforcements in attack after Benzema’s departure.

Midfielder Jude Bellingham currently leads the club’s goalscoring charts with six goals, followed by the two managed by veteran forward Joselu. 

Chelsea are reported to hold an interest in the Osimhen, who fired Napoli to a first league title in over 30 years last season, amid their goalscoring woes.

The Blues have scored just five times in six matches this season, with three of those coming in one game against newly-promoted Luton.

A clip, reportedly deleted from Napoli’s TikTok, allegedly compared Osimhen to a ‘coconut’

Real Madrid hold an interest in Osimhen with midfielder Jude Bellingham and veteran striker Joselu currently leading the Spanish giants’ goalscoring charts this season

Any pursuit by Chelsea is expected to be complicated by the club’s new wage structure

Any pursuit by Chelsea would be complicated by a new wage structure introduced by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital following their takeover in 2022.

Chelsea’s owners have implemented an incentivised pay structure to player contracts linked to Champions League qualification that sees their wages fluctuate depending on whether they were playing in the competition. 

The Blues have pursued longer contracts on significantly lower wages for new signings, despite forking out over £1billion in transfer fees across three windows.

Clearlake’s co-founder Jose Feliciano revealed earlier this month that the club are seeking to reduce their wage bill by £80.6m per year.

Osimhen’s contract expires in June 2025, which could led to Napoli being forced to consider a sale in either the January or summer transfer windows.

The forward had previously been linked with Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain in recent times. 

Osimhen is believed to be valued by his club at around £150m.

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