Napoli sporting director Giovanni Manna spoke to SportmediaSet in the build-up to Partenopei’s Coppa Italia tie against Modena. During a comprehensive interview, Manna confirmed Victor Osimhen’s desire to leave the Diego Maradona Stadium.
Antonio Conte left the Nigeria international out of the squad for Saturday’s cup game against Modena. However, a lack of tangible offers remains an issue as Napoli look to offload their unsettled star to raise funds for Chelsea’s Romelu Lukaku.
“He asked to leave. We are calm because we have players in the squad who can replace him in the best way,” the Napoli executive said, as reported by CN24. “However, we do not want to harm the integrity of the group and want to preserve it. We will see what will happen in the next few days.
It’s no secret that Osimhen is keen to sever ties with Napoli. The Nigerian is eager to embark on a fresh challenge in another top division. But he has failed to draw much interest. Even free-spending Chelsea pulled out of the race after capturing Samu Omorodion from Atletico Madrid.
Perennial Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain are the only viable option for the Napoli star. Les Parisiens have yet to replace Kylian Mbappe, who joined Real Madrid in July. Osimhen has emerged as the top candidate to fill the Frenchman’s shoes.
Yet, they’re unwilling to pay Osimhen’s eye-watering €130 million release clause. Several Saudi Arabian clubs have approached Napoli, but the ex-Lille striker wants to stay in Europe.
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