Napoli have taken a final decision over Victor Osimhen’s future at the club after his failed move to Chelsea, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Chelsea tried to sign the Nigerian forward on transfer deadline day but couldn’t finalize the deal.
Meanwhile, Al Ahli agreed to a permanent deal for Osimhen but chose to sign Ivan Toney instead to fill their last foreign player slot.
As a result of the failed transfer talks, the 25-year-old has been left in limbo and has not played in any of Napoli’s first three games this season under Antonio Conte.
Conte has stated that decisions about Osimhen’s future are up to the club but emphasized that his role is to make the best decisions for each game and maintain balance.
Romano now reports that Napoli have decided to exclude Osimhen from their first-team squad for the 2024/25 season.
The same fate has befallen left-back Mario Rui, who also could not secure a transfer away from the Serie A champions.
The latest decision concludes a strange series of events for the Nigerian forward, who won the Serie A Golden Boot and helped Napoli secure the Scudetto just a year ago.
He then netted 15 goals in 25 appearances last season, but Napoli’s title defense faltered as they failed to qualify for European competition this year.
Now, despite being one of the top strikers globally, Osimhen faces an enforced period on the sidelines and is unable to play football.
According to The Independent, Napoli’s motivation to sell Osimhen stems from their financial difficulties and their belief that offloading him, with his reported £300,000 per week salary, would help alleviate their financial strain.
They had the chance to sell him last summer, but club president Aurelio de Laurentiis insisted on a minimum of £170 million, a figure no club was willing to meet.
It remains to be seen if a transfer to another team can still happen, as the Saudi Pro League’s transfer window closes on September 2. For now, Osimhen is set to miss four months of first-team action.
