Osimhen’s forced move attempt backfires as Napoli respond with punishment

Super Eagles and Napoli striker, Victor James Osimhen is set to receive a penalty from his club side after he attempted to force a move away from the Armando Diego Maradona Stadium, Soccernet.ng reports.

The 25-year-old had a stellar 2022/2023 season with Napoli. He won the Scudetto with his club side, alongside the league’s golden boot. Shortly after, he claimed 8th place in that year’s Ballon d’Or rankings, before crowning the year with the 2023 CAF Footballer of the year award.

The former VfL Wolfsburg man signed a new deal in December 2023, which saw his wages move up to €247,000 weekly. Additionally, a €130m release clause was included in the deal.

Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal, Chelsea and Al Ahli were interested in Osimhen this summer. While personal terms were agreed with the French side, their bid which included a cash-plus-player offer for the Nigerian, was a red flag for Napoli.

On the other hand, Chelsea considered a swap deal with Romelu Lukaku, who was heading to Italy, while Osimhen moved the other way, but that also didn’t happen.

While these negotiations were ongoing, the former LOSC Lille man was not part of Napoli’s pre-season games and training sessions.

Following a deadline day debacle, it is now confirmed Osimhen will stay in Napoli until the next transfer window at least.

As per Caught offside, Osimhen’s unsuccessful attempts to force a move away from the club will see him out of the Napoli first-team squad.

Antonio Conte’s preference is his new signing, Romelu Lukaku. Osimhen will only get a chance to play if for any reason, the Belgian will be unavailable for a period.