Napoli Sporting Director Blames Victor Osimhen for Rift with Club

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Napoli Sporting Director Blames Victor Osimhen for Rift with Club

Napoli's sporting director, Giovanni Manna, has placed the blame on Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen for the ongoing tensions between him and the club, claiming that it was Osimhen's decision not to play for Napoli anymore.

Osimhen's proposed moves to Premier League side Chelsea and Saudi Arabian club Al Ahli fell through on transfer deadline day, with Chelsea opting to sign Jadon Sancho and Al Ahli choosing the more affordable Ivan Toney. Following the collapse of these deals on August 31, Osimhen was excluded from Napoli’s Serie A squad and stripped of his number 9 shirt, which was handed to new signing Romelu Lukaku.

Manna defended the club's actions, stating, "The situation is very clear, it has been since the end of last season. Victor expressed his absolute desire to not stay at Napoli, to not play for Napoli, and we tried to make him happy," Manna told DAZN. "We thought we had concluded the negotiations, but then it did not go through. We bought Lukaku, kept Raspadori and Simeone, which was not to be taken for granted."

Manna emphasized that Osimhen's stance forced Napoli to make other decisions. "He expressed the desire to no longer play for Napoli, and so we made other choices," he added.

Addressing speculation about Osimhen potentially moving to another Saudi club, Manna noted, "The transfer market is still open, there are many options, but I don’t think Victor will go to Saudi Arabia in this transfer session."

Osimhen's unresolved situation poses a financial strain on Napoli, as the club had planned to use his sale to fund new transfers. "We were waiting to sell Victor to finance these operations, but the sale did not arrive, and the President took on the responsibility to invest and reboot. He took on all the risk; he was incredible," Manna concluded.

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