November 09, (THEWILL) – Victor Osimhen of Napoli and Rafael Leao of Milan, have drawn the attention of Real Madrid, as the Los Blancos take their search for a striker to Serie A.
The 23-year-old Osimhen swiftly adjusted to life in Italy after moving to Napoli in 2020 for a club-record €70 million transfer from Lille. Leao, who is the same age as Osimhen, played with him at Lille in 2019, before Milan snatched him up. He scored a career-high 11 league goals last season to help Milan win their first Serie A championship since the 2010/2011 season.
This season, Osimhen and Leao have been in superb form and the contract of 31-year-old Eden Hazard is the only thing preventing Real Madrid from making “another nine-figure investment” in one of Serie A’s top players.
If Madrid can find a buyer for Hazard, who makes about €500,000 per week, in January or at the end of the season, their financial flexibility will significantly increase.
Leao’s contract will expire in January, after 18 months, and given the frequent rumours that the talks to extend it have not advanced much, Milan will finally have to consider the possibility of selling him. Meanwhile, Osimhen has an additional year on top of that, keeping him with Napoli through 2025 and giving the team significant negotiating power in the event of a sale.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
