OSIMHEN-AND-CONTE
Antonio Conte has reiterated that Victor Osimhen is no longer part of the club’s plans and will not be reintegrated into the first team.
Osimhen was expected to leave the Partenopei during the transfer window after the striker requested to leave, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The Lagos-born emerged as one of the most sought-after strikers in Europe, having been linked with moves to Chelsea, Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, and Liverpool, among others, following impressive seasons with Napoli.
Despite his desire to leave the club, the Nigerian striker’s anticipated move to Stamford Bridge fell through, leaving him in a limbo as the transfer window closed on Friday.
While Chelsea were the most likely destination for Osimhen, Saudi Arabian club Al-Ahli also emerged as a potential destination. They even reportedly agreed on terms with Napoli for the transfer, but the deal fell apart when the Italian side asked for a further €5m in addition to the agreed €80m transfer fee.
As the 2024/25 season unfolds, Conte remains adamant that neither Osimhen nor other players would be reintegrated in the team despite their inability to strengthen the squad as envisaged.
“Some issues blocked it; perhaps if we had unlocked that [Osimhen] situation, we would have completed the team differently and earlier,” Conte said at a post-match press conference on Saturday.
“The club made an effort, and I must be happy with it.”
“I’m sorry about what happened. I’m sorry for Osimhen. I’m sorry for the club that didn’t monetize. I am sorry for myself because we didn’t complete the team as we wanted, but the club proved to be consistent in this situation,” continued Conte.
“Coherence is the starting point when it comes to respecting the rules. The club proved consistent, so I praise them for this attitude.”
Conte insists that the club were consistent in dealing with Osimhen and other players not in the team.
“No, this is the team. This is the group,” he added.
“We made decisions. I mentioned coherence before. Those who are not consistent don’t respect the rules. I repeat, respect to the club. The president proved consistent despite losing important money—credit where credit is due. The club were consistent, knowing that if the situation had been unlocked earlier, we would all have been advantaged. As I said, we’ve started rebuilding. Good players arrived. They were on the table. It took us time to understand and think about it, but we signed them, and I am happy. We didn’t do everything, and it’s okay, but I think the club did well.”
With no immediate transfer on the horizon and Napoli’s firm stance on Osimhen’s exclusion from the squad, the Super Eagles striker finds himself in a challenging position.
The 25-year-old striker, who had been one of the most sought-after talents in European football, now faces an uncertain future at least until January, when the transfer window reopens.
However, the Saudi Arabian transfer window remains open until September 2 (today), while the Turkish Super Lig window is open until September 13, which means that the Nigerian could still save himself from getting stuck at Naples until January.
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