With the transfer window of top leagues in Europe closed, Victor Osimhen is at a crossroads in his career after Chelsea and Al-Ahli deals collapsed.
Still contracted to Napoli till 2026, the reigning CAF Men’s Footballer of the Year is expected to stay with Napoli but there is a big twist to the saga.
According to close sources, his relationship with Napoli has broken down and he will not be allowed back into the squad. Napoli’s new manager, Antonio Conte, has sounded it clear that the 25-year-old is not in his plans and will not be integrated into the first team. His No. 9 Napoli shirt has been handed to new signing Romelu Lukaku.
At the time of this report, it has been confirmed the player has been axed from Napoli’s first team and will be training with the reserve team.
Where did it go wrong for Victor Osimhen?
Osimhen joined Napoli for £70m in 2020 from French Ligue 1 side Lille. He scored 10 Serie A goals with three assists in his first season. In his second season, he took his tally to 14 goals with two assists.
The 2022-23 season saw the footballer hit the peak of his career. He scored a league-leading 26 Serie A goals with four assists to fire the Neapolitans to their first Serie A title in over three decades.
Following his standout campaign, he signed a new two-year contract with the club till 2026 with a €130m release clause. It was understood Napoli wanted to cash in on the player.
Also, Victor Osimhen was eager to take up a new challenge away from the Serie A outfit. It was basically a mutual agreement between the two parties for the player to leave. So, it’s still unclear when the relationship went sour.
However, there was a brief heated moment between the player and the club in the 2023-24 campaign. Napoli TikTok handler Allesino Fortino had posted mocking and racist footage of Osimhen missing a penalty. The footage attracted widespread backlash with Osimhen later deleting all Napoli-related pics on his social media.
Nevertheless, it is still a matter of speculation that the racism row influenced the relationship between the player and the club and, subsequently, the transfer saga.
Why Al-Ahli and Chelsea’s talks collapsed
Victor Osimhen would have secured a smooth transfer away from Napoli if he had reached an agreement with Al-Ahli or Chelsea. Both clubs agreed terms with Napoli but could not settle on personal terms with the player.
Al-Ahli offered €80m to Napoli. On personal terms, a €25m to €30m annual offer with a four-year contract was submitted to Victor Osimhen. Osimhen was open to joining the Saudi club but only if he could not reach an agreement with Chelsea.
Meanwhile, Al-Ahli were ahead of Chelsea in the move. While Chelsea’s offer for Osimhen was unconfirmed, a leaked report from talkSPORTS revealed the London club offered the footballer £3.3m annually, three times less than what he earned at Napoli.
Osimhen rejected the offer and a move to Al-Ahli was already late as the club was only limited to signing either one striker – him (Osimhen) or former Brentford forward Ivan Toney.
While Osimhen’s move dragged on, an agreement was already reached with Brentford for Ivan Toney and the deal was smoothly completed to the detriment of the 25-year-old Nigerian striker.
What is the way forward for Victor Osimhen?
There is still hope for Osimhen’s transfer exit from Napoli. At the time of this report, Turkish giants Galatasaray are said to be advancing on a move for the player. Agreement has been reportedly reached with Napoli for a loan deal with no buy option. Note that the Turkish transfer window is still open and will close on September 18. Osimhen will join the Super Lig giants if he agrees personal terms with the club.
