Chelsea may turn to Ivan Toney with Victor Osimhen set for Napoli stay – Paper Round

Napoli striker Victor Osimhen may have patched things up with the Italian club and could sign a new contract, according to club president Aurelio De Laurentiis.

The Nigerian is out of contract the season after next, but the Evening Standard thinks that his stay could be prolonged by another season, with a salary increase as part of the package.

“After the Nigerian striker fired his team to Scudetto glory last season, there was much speculation over his future with a hefty price tag placed on his head amid talks to extend his stay in Campania.

“Out of contract in 2025, lengthy negotiations in the summer appeared to lead to a breakthrough over a one-year extension that would make him Napoli’s highest-paid player.

“He told reporters at an event in Naples: ‘With Osimhen, we are about to sign the contract that was pending this summer.’

“Chelsea are understood to be targeting Osimhen alongside Ivan Toney in their pursuit of a new striker, although they may be happy to wait until next summer to strike a deal.”

Manchester City are one of several massive European clubs who are looking to land teenage Argentine Claudio Echeverri.

The 17-year-old River Plate forward is reportedly available with a buyout fee of around £21-25 million.

“The Premier League champions have been watching River Plate sensation Claudio Echeverri play a starring role at the Under-17s World Cup and are hoping the good relationship they struck with the Buenos Aires club when they signed Julian Alvarez will give them an edge.

“‌Echeverri, 17, an attacking midfielder with a deadly eye for goal, is also prompting interest from Real Madrid, Barcelona, PSG, Juventus and the two Milan clubs.

“He has only made four substitute appearances for River Plate but is already being dubbed as the next big thing to come out of Argentina after scoring a hat-trick against arch-rivals Brazil in Indonesia.

“Echeverri scored five goals at the tournament but missed a penalty in the semi-final shoot-out defeat to Germany. River Plate put a £21.44million buy-out clause in the contract Echeverri signed in January – although that figure rises to £25.73million within 10 days of any transfer window closing.”

Luis Suarez now looks set to leave Gremio in the coming weeks, with the Mail suggesting that he will be at MLS side Inter Miami before the new season.

The 36-year-old Uruguayan international has long been linked with a reunion with former Barcelona team-mate Lionel Messi.

“Suarez has been set to depart the club for months and now is set up for a potential move to MLS to re-join his friend Lionel Messi at Inter Miami.

“The striker has had 26 goals in 51 appearances – a kind of output Gaucho wishes was staying at the club.

“While a move to Florida has not been confirmed, it’s believed that Suarez is keen to join Inter Miami in January.

“He’ll arrive before the start of the 2024 MLS season in February – where he’s expected to have an impact up front.”

The Mirror believes Liverpool are out of the running to sign Kylian Mbappe.

Real Madrid are also regularly linked to the French striker and it appears that they will have a clear run at the player.

“Mbappe, 24, has just six months left to run on the deal he signed back in the summer of 2022 and has already outlined his intention to leave the French champions as a free agent at the end of the current campaign. Real Madrid has been touted as the France international’s most likely destination, but other clubs could attempt to hijack such a move.

“Like Real, Liverpool are long-term admirers of Mbappe and have even tried to sign the forward in the past. And despite speculation claiming a fresh attempt to lure him to the Premier League was in the works, that now seems unlikely.

“Mbappe has plundered 14 goals in 12 league matches for PSG this term. The French giants shelled out £166million to sign him from Ligue 1 rivals Monaco back in 2017.”