Napoli Stronger Without Osimhen, Strong Players Have Arrived – Conte

Napoli has decided not to reintegrate Victor Osimhen into Antonio Conte’s squad, marking a significant decision for the club.

Naija News reports that this was confirmed on Saturday night by football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Romano shared the update via social media, stating, “Napoli confirm they have NO plans to reintegrate Victor Osimhen in the squad. Decision shared by Antonio Conte and the management, as both confirmed tonight.”

Conte, reflecting on the situation, expressed his disappointment that the club did not manage to sell Osimhen during the summer transfer window.

Following a 2-1 victory over Parma, where Romelu Lukaku, Osimhen’s replacement, came off the bench to score, Conte commented on the club’s transfer dealings.

He noted, “Strong players have arrived from a market that was difficult and at times blocked. They came to fill the slots, and I’m happy with the work done by the club.”

However, Conte also subtly criticized the failure to offload Osimhen, saying, “Of course, if Osimhen had been sold, we would have completed the situation better.”

Recall that Victor Osimhen, who scored 26 goals and provided five assists in 32 league games which helped Napoli to win the 2022-2023 Italian Serie A title, reportedly requested to leave the club ahead of this season.

Osimhen’s proposed transfer to Chelsea fell through on the final day of the transfer window, with the deal stalling due to unmet salary demands.

Additionally, Napoli had been in talks with Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli over a potential €80 million move.

While Osimhen had agreed to personal terms with Al-Ahli, including a lucrative €30 million per season salary, Napoli’s demand for an additional €5 million in bonuses caused the deal to collapse.

There remains a slim possibility that Osimhen could still make a move to Saudi Arabia, as the transfer window there remains open until September 2.

For now, however, Osimhen remains contracted to Napoli until the summer of 2026, with a deal reportedly worth €10 million per year.