The 25-year-old was absent from the team’s official roster that was posted on the league website. Further investigation also showed that Osimhen’s number nine jersey had been given to Romelu Lukaku, who recently joined Napoli from Chelsea.
Napoli’s decision to shun the Super Eagles striker comes after the player attempted to leave the club during the recently concluded transfer window, causing his relationship with the club’s leadership to irreversibly fall apart. Osimhen also submitted a transfer request, but his lengthy negotiations with Chelsea and Al-Ahli of Saudi Arabia failed to materialize.
Despite this, Osimhen is still under contract with Napoli until the summer of 2026, with a salary cap of €10 million.
The new Napoli manager, Antonio Conte, has stated time and time again that the striker is not part of his season-long plan. This season, Osimhen has not been included in the team’s matchday roster. The team’s next league game is scheduled for this Saturday at Stadio Diego Maradona versus Parma.
Why Osimhen move did not Materialize
Osimhen has long been admired by Chelsea, and the London team appeared eager to sign the striker this summer. However, due to disagreements over Osimhen’s wage demand, neither party was able to complete the move.
A fraction of what the striker makes at Napoli, the Blues supposedly offered him an initial yearly wage of €4 million. Osimhen’s admission to the Saudi Pro League piqued the interest of Al Ahli as well.
The Arabian club had originally offered Napoli £67.3 million (€80 million) for the striker, who would have made £33.6 million (€40 million) a season.
However, it was believed that the Italian team wanted an additional €5 million added to the agreement, which forced Al Ahli to search elsewhere and sign Brentford’s Ivan Toney.
References and Citation
- thecable.ng- Osimhen missing from Napoli’s Serie A squad, loses jersey number to Lukaku
- ESPN – Transfer Talk: Victor Osimhen frozen out of squad by Napoli
- Osun Defender – Osimhen Missing From Napoli’s Serie A Squad, Loses Jersey Number To Lukaku
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The Cable – Napoli make U-turn, withdraw Osimhen’s jersey number from Lukaku