Napoli take brutal measures after Chelsea's fall from Victor Osimhen
Napoli appear to have kicked Victor Osimhen out of their first team and handed his shirt number to Romelu Lukaku.
The 25-year-old striker was expected to leave on the final day of his contract but is instead heading to Chelsea and Al Ahli. fell.
It is understood that the delegates of Chelsea They were in Naples until the final moments of the transfer window before agreeing to a deal that fell through.
The Blues told Napoli they would take Osimhen on loan with an obligation to buy but were unable to reach a personal agreement with the striker.
Meanwhile, Al Ahli signed Ivan Toney from Brentford for £40mdespite having agreed a deal to buy Osimhen early Friday.
The Saudi Pro League side were claimed to have had a bid worth £67m accepted by Napoli and offered Osimhen a four-year package worth £135m in wages and bonuses.
Chelsea were unwilling to match the terms offered in Saudi Arabia and did not want to spend too much on the deal due to profit and sustainability regulations.
The Nigerian ended up staying at Napoli despite his relationship with the club being broken.
Osimhen is now no longer listed on the club's website, while new signing Lukaku is listed as their No.9.
Lukaku ended his Chelsea nightmare by reuniting with Antonio Conte on a permanent £30million transfer on Thursday.
The Saudi transfer window is still open, offering Osimhen a potential escape route.
However, Al Ahli have reached their full quota of foreign players, making a move to the PIF-owned side unlikely following Toney's arrival.
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Earlier this week, Osimhen's agent Roberto Calenda wrote a statement on X to insist that his client remained an asset to Napoli.
Calenda said: “Osimhen is a Napoli player, with a contract recently renewed with mutual satisfaction.
“He has made history and when there have been important offers (this year too) we have always accepted the club's decisions. As I said, he is not a package that can be sent away to make room for new prophets.”
“Victor was voted African footballer of the year, eighth in the Ballon d'Or, and still has a lot to do in Europe.
“There must be respect and balance.”
Osimhen has scored 61 Serie A goals in 108 appearances and helped Napoli win the title in 2023.
He previously fell out with the club over a social media post from his own accounts that appeared to mock him for missing a penalty.
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