Liverpool-linked striker agrees contract extension with '£112m' release clause likely

Napoli's Victor Osimhen has agreed a new deal at the club, with a release clause of £112m likely to be inserted into the deal.

Liverpool were tentatively linked with the forward over the past few months. But the latest news revolves around a new deal for the Nigerian goalscorer. His original deal was set to expire in 2025 but the Italian club have moved to make him 'one of the best paid players in the history of the club' - according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.

That deal has been extended by one year but there is still a valid release clause in his deal which is set to be confirmed but is reportedly around £112m (€130m).

Osimhen, 24, fired Napoli to the Serie A title and a Champions League quarter-final with 31 goals in all competitions and he has carried on his form into this campaign with seven goals and two assists in 15 games so far. Napoli have struggled massively this season in comparison, falling 14 points behind leaders Juventus after 15 games and they sit in sixth place as a result.

Aside from Liverpool, there are teams who have a more pressing need for a striker such as Chelsea and Manchester United. The Reds already have three options for their centre-forward role with Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo and Diogo Jota and all three are integral to the squad as a whole.

Whether you can definitively say that Osimhen is a better forward than those three is up for debate but he is highly-rated across Europe by the elite clubs. What makes a move even more unlikely is the fact that Nunez, Jota and Gakpo's average age is 25 meaning there shouldn't be a need for another forward.

Plus, there will be a focus on defensive recruitment in January or, most likely, the summer as Joel Matip's long-term injury is set to keep him out until the end of the season - and with the 32-year-old's deal set to expire next summer, the club will be actively looking to recruit at the back rather than in attack.

One potential factor to consider is the future of Mohamed Salah; he was subject to interest from Saudi Arabia in the summer and they could return next year with an improved offer and if Liverpool accept a mammoth-sized transfer fee, they may look to recruit someone with genuine firepower such as a Osimhen-type figure to replicate the Egyptian's phenomenal output.