Osimhen removed from Napoli squad as Lukaku takes up No 9 Jersey
Following his unsuccessful move away from the club, Victor Osimhen has been removed from the Napoli’s Serie A squad for the rest of the season.
The African best footballer has also had his jersey number taken away from him and now handed to Romelu Lukaku who joined the team a few days ago.
Osimhen’s name has been a subject of controversy lately following the transfer saga which were unsuccessful majorly due to contextual terms and personal negotiations.
Earlier, the Super Eagles Striker was touted for a move to PSG in France but had it botched due to failure in agreement.
Other interested suitors like Saudi giants Al-Ahli and English side Chelsea later emerged to secure Osimhen’s service until the last day of the transfer period.
Napoli had reportedly reached an agreement with Saudi club Al Ahli in a late bid for a fee of around £67 million, but negotiations hit a snag when the Italian club demanded a higher fee.
Meanwhile, Chelsea’s deal also reportedly fell apart during the period as no headway was reached based on personal agreement.
The failed transfer saga has now left Osimhen in a precarious position, with reports suggesting that he could be sidelined until January when the transfer window reopens.
It’s now unclear what will be the fate and status of Osimhen as the football season fully begins.
However, he is expected to be part of the Super Eagles 23-man squad list for their AFCON 2025 qualifiers double header against Benin Republic and Rwanda billed for September 7 and 10 respectively
