Serie A giants Napoli have left star striker Victor Osimhen out of their squad for the 2024/25 season amidst the player’s ambition to depart. After failing to find a new club, the Nigerian risks spending the first half of the season away from the football fields.
According to Napoli manager Antonio Conte, the Partenopei will not ‘reinstate‘ Osimhen into their first-team squad. Romelu Lukaku made his Serie A debut for the club on Saturday night, inspiring Napoli’s stunning late comeback in a 2-1 win against Parma.
The former Inter and Roma center-forward will take Osimhen’s place in the front third, with Conte adamant Osimhen won’t feature for Napoli again.
“Some issues blocked it; perhaps if we had unlocked that [Osimhen] situation, we would have completed the team differently and earlier,” Conte said in the post-match conference.
“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,” the Napoli boss continued.
“Coherence is the starting point when it comes to respecting the rules. The club proved consistent, so I praise them for this attitude.“
Osimhen informed Napoli of his decision to leave at the end of last season. But despite the club’s genuine effort to fulfill his wish, a lack of suitable offers in the summer has ruined their plans. As such, the 25-year-old could spend the next few months on the sidelines.
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