After the controversy surrounding the Victor Osimhen transfer saga, Napoli Sporting Director Giovanni Manna has clarified that the club acted in its best interests throughout the process.
Osimhen was widely expected to leave Napoli at the end of the season, with multiple clubs expressing strong interest.
French giants Paris Saint-Germain were considered the frontrunners for the Nigerian striker, but they backed out after refusing to meet Napoli’s valuation.
No Chelsea or Al Ahli move for Victor Osimhen
English Premier League clubs Arsenal and Chelsea also showed initial interest; however, Arsenal pulled out early, leaving Chelsea as the leading contender.
Despite this, negotiations with Chelsea collapsed due to a disagreement over Osimhen's wage demands.
Towards the end of the transfer window, Saudi club Al-Ahli made a late bid for the forward, but that deal also fell through.
In anticipation of Osimhen’s potential departure, Napoli strengthened their attacking options by acquiring Belgian forward Romelu Lukaku.
This addition bolstered an already formidable attacking line-up that includes Giacomo Raspadori, Giovanni Simeone, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
Napoli to move ahead without Victor Osimhen
“We’ve made significant investments; we brought in Lukaku and kept Raspadori and Simeone, which wasn’t guaranteed,” Manna explained.
“Right now, we are sticking to our consistent approach that we’ve had from the start.
Victor has expressed his desire not to play for Napoli, and we have made other choices.
“The market is still open, there are many options, but I don’t think Victor will be going to Saudi Arabia in this transfer window,” he added.
Despite rumours that Lukaku would take Osimhen's number nine jersey, the Belgian made his debut wearing the number eleven shirt.
Napoli secured a 2-1 victory over Parma on Saturday, with Lukaku among the goals.
