Napoli has made a surprising decision by excluding Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen from their Serie A squad list for the new season. This move suggests that the club is no longer counting on Osimhen as part of their plans, and they may be positioning him for a potential transfer to Saudi Arabia, whose transfer window remains open until Monday.
The situation surrounding Osimhen, dubbed the “Osimhen Case,” has been unresolved despite months of speculation. The Nigerian star, who has expressed his desire to leave Napoli for some time, now finds himself on the sidelines, both figuratively and literally. Despite initial expectations that he would secure a transfer before the European window closed, Osimhen remains stuck in limbo.
Manager Antonio Conte, who has taken charge of Napoli, has not included Osimhen in his matchday squads and has opted instead for Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku as the team’s primary forward. Lukaku, who recently joined the club, will don the number 11 jersey, as confirmed by Napoli on Saturday.
Osimhen had been linked with a move to the Premier League, particularly to Chelsea, with negotiations reportedly ongoing until the final hours of the summer transfer window. However, the deal failed to materialize, leaving Osimhen in a precarious position at Napoli.
Without being listed in the official Serie A squad, Osimhen is effectively excluded from the team’s activities. His only hope for a move lies in securing a transfer to a league where the market is still open, such as Saudi Arabia. If no transfer occurs, Osimhen may be forced to wait until the winter transfer window to seek an exit, though the possibility of repairing his strained relationship with Napoli’s management seems remote.