Victor Osimhen and Napoli: When Love Broke Down After Transfer Failure to Al-Ahli
The saga that had been ongoing between Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen and Italian club Napoli finally came to a head when the proposed transfer to a Saudi Pro League club, Al-Ahli, collapsed. This past season, 25-year-old Osimhen has been very instrumental for Napoli. Despite interest in him, the aftermath of Napoli’s collapsed transfer deal leaves his future unclear, opening a floodgate of questions as to how Napoli handled things.
The Deal That Could Have Been-Seal the Deal, Osimhen to Al-Ahli
According to reports, Victor Osimhen had accepted in dollars and cents an offer of the deal with Al-Ahli, which was to pay him an astonishing €40 million per season, extending over four seasons for a total of €160 million. While an initial agreement on transfer fees by Napoli and Al-Ahli had been €80 million, one that would make Osimhen one of the most expensive deals in the history of football, the negotiations had taken a dramatic turn when Napoli started to request an additional €5 million on top of the agreed fee, hence running it for the total cost up to €85 million.
In fact, according to Sky Sport Italia, this last-minute request by Napoli saw Al-Ahli withdraw from negotiations, thereby ending the probable transfer. This additional €5 million that Napoli asked for may seem so little in the modern football financial landscape, but it was that that sealed the deal. Al-Ahli were unwilling to pay the revised price and hence decided to walk away from the signing of the young attacker, leaving Osimhen in limbo.
Fallout: Osimhen’s Frustration, Napoli’s Position
The collapse of this transfer deal had left Victor Osimhen and his representatives so sad and angry. As a matter of fact, according to Arena Napoli, Osimhen’s agent continuously called up Napoli club President Aurelio De Laurentiis and sporting director Giovanni Manna, attacking the way the club handled this affair. The sequel of these failed negotiations has been the complete breakdown in the relationship between Osimhen and Napoli.
Understandably, Osimhen is frustrated because he had secured a contract that would have made him one of the best-paid players in the world, and a chance to move to a new club on lucrative deals was something he was keen on. The breakdown of this deal cost him not only money but also left him in an awkward position within the Napoli squad.
Lukaku’s arrival: Conte freezes out Osimhen
It doesn’t help that Romelu Lukaku recently arrived at Napoli. That means already, Napoli looks beyond Osimhen, for which head coach Antonio Conte seems to look ahead without him. Reports claim the striker won’t be reintegrated into the team under Conte despite his good goalscoring record-76 goals in 133 appearances for the Serie A club.
The coming of Lukaku and sidelining of Osimhen hint rather crudely that Napoli’s attacking game is in for a whole new direction. To Conte, who is tactically brilliant and a staunch believer in the importance of harmony within a team, the presence of Osimhen might be perceived as an aberrant element, with an evident breakdown of trust and communication between the player and management. With Lukaku leading the line of attack, Osimhen risks being weeded out of first-team football-something sure to have a really adverse effect on his career.
Missed Opportunities: Chelsea and Other Possible Moves
Matters get further muddled for Osimhen as the transfer window went shut. A supposed deadline-day transfer to Chelsea was also spoken about, only to collapse because the parties couldn’t reach a settlement. Osimhen will have very limited choices as the transfer windows across Europe’s top league are already closed. While the Saudi transfer window runs until September 2, it is less likely that Al-Ahli will come up with a reviewed offer for the Nigerian international.
This places Osimhen in a precarious situation wherein, with no apparent move on the horizon, he might be condemned to no first-team football until January at the earliest when the next transfer window opens. For someone of Osimhen’s ability, for example, this is far from ideal: his form and confidence could plummet precipitously because of such an elongated spell on the sidelines.
What Next for Osimhen?
The whole Victor Osimhen case has brought out the delicacy of football transfers at times, a thin line where success or failure could be the end result of negotiations. For now, Osimhen remains in this precarious position wherein he has been frozen out from the Napoli squad, and to boot, with no immediate visible transfer options. The only hope he could have now would be some offer coming from another Saudi Pro League team or some variation of the situation at Napoli, enabling him to reincorporate into the team.
Perhaps it is again a case where Napoli lost much more than they would have made with a potential transfer, just because of their insistence on that extra €5 million. Now, the club will have to face an unhappy star, and that will only take away the valuable morale and on-field performance of the entire team. The next few months are going to define Osimhen as he passes through this troubled time. Whether that’s at Napoli, elsewhere, or even waiting until January for a fresh start, one thing is for certain: much of the fall-out from this failed Al-Ahli move will linger on well into the foreseeable future.
Conclusion: A Turning Point for Osimhen and Napoli
The case of Victor Osimhen and Napoli has always been sensitive in the course of football negotiations: a missed chance for financial futures and testing himself in a new environment for Osimhen, while for Napoli, this is a case that causes them inner strife by sidelining one of their most valuable assets. How this incident is handled may define the fortunes of both parties in the next months and years. The next chapter in this unfolding story will be whether Osimhen finds a way back into Conte’s plans or secures a move elsewhere.
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