Napoli head coach Antonio Conte has confirmed that Victor Osimhen, a Nigerian striker, will not feature in the first team owing to the failed deal that was supposed to see him move to Chelsea in the just-ended summer window.
Chelsea had presented a sound bid for Osimhen, but talks with Napoli had fallen through because of the Premier League club’s unwillingness to pay the striker the same sum he currently receives or a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabian club Al Ahli. Osimhen had refused the proposal despite Chelsea’s keen interest, leading to their failed negotiations.
Now that the window is closed, Conte has given indications that Osimhen does not feature in his future plans for Napoli. This was evident when the striker was left out of the squad for Napoli’s recent Serie A win over Parma, where new signing Romelu Lukaku scored on his debut.
Conte praised the effort the club made in the transfer market, but he admitted, “Strong players have arrived from a difficult market.” Meanwhile, he showed some disappointment with the situation of Osimhen underlined, “if Osimhen had been sold, we would have completed the situation better.”
Now, a question mark has been put over Osimhen’s future in Napoli, and his possible transfer to Saudi Arabia is not yet totally ruled out.
