Napoli’s recent history has been anything but plain sailing. After clinching the Serie A title in a triumphant 2022-23 campaign, the club experienced a dramatic downturn in the following season, finishing a disappointing 10th in the league – a staggering 41 points off the top.
This abrupt change in fortunes has not only impacted the team’s performance, but it has also complicated the future of their star striker, Victor Osimhen.
For Osimhen, the issues he currently faces have little to do with his exploits on the pitch. Instead, the 25-year-old forward finds himself at the center of intense speculation regarding his next move.
Osimhen has been angling for a transfer away from Napoli for over a year now, and the club hierarchy has seemingly accepted that his departure is inevitable.
Napoli would likely be content to offload their record signing, who joined the club from Lille for an initial £65m fee in 2020. However, despite the apparent willingness to sell, no potential suitors have been willing to match Osimhen’s lofty release clause, which is reported to be around £111m. This impasse has left the Nigerian striker in a state of limbo, training with the Napoli squad but largely being kept out of friendly matches as he looks to maintain his fitness ahead of an imminent move.
According to Vincenzo Credendino, a Naples-based journalist, Osimhen’s departure from Napoli now seems like a matter of when rather than if. The player himself has already expressed that he has “made up my mind” about his future, with Napoli chairman Aurelio de Laurentiis suggesting that the forward would join either “Real Madrid, Paris St-Germain or an English club.”
While Paris Saint-Germain was initially considered the most likely destination, Credendino has revealed that the French champions do not appear willing to meet Osimhen’s astronomical release clause. Meanwhile, Chelsea and Arsenal have also been linked with the striker, but his price tag and wage demands have proven to be significant deterrents for these Premier League clubs this summer.
However, should Osimhen depart Napoli, it could potentially open the door for another high-profile signing – Romelu Lukaku.
Critics suggest that new Napoli manager Antonio Conte, who previously worked with Lukaku during their time together at Inter Milan, is in regular contact with the Belgian striker. Lukaku, who is currently on loan at AS Roma, is believed to be keen on reuniting with Conte at Napoli, as he looks to recapture the form that saw him become one of the most prolific strikers in Serie A.
Napoli fans will undoubtedly have fond memories of Osimhen’s performances during their title-winning season, where the Nigerian striker netted an impressive 26 goals in the league, becoming a hero in the process. However, the 2023-24 campaign proved to be more challenging for the forward, as he missed time due to his participation in the Africa Cup of Nations, as well as a hamstring injury in October.
As Napoli strive to rebuild and reclaim their position among the Serie A elite, the club must find a resolution to the Osimhen conundrum. Whether they manage to retain the talented striker or secure a lucrative sale that could fund a significant squad overhaul, including the potential high-profile signing of Romelu Lukaku, remains to be seen. Nevertheless, the next steps taken by Napoli and Osimhen will undoubtedly have a profound impact on the club’s future trajectory.
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