Conte: Strong players have arrived, Napoli better without Osimhen

Napoli have decided not to reintegrate Victor Osimhen back into manager Antonio Conte’s squad.

The management of the Serie A club confirmed the decision on Saturday night, according to football transfer expert, Fabrizio Romano.

“Napoli confirm they have NO plans to reintegrate Victor Osimhen in the squad.

“Decision shared by Antonio Conte and the management, as both confirmed tonight,” Romano wrote on X.

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Conte has expressed regret over the club’s failure to sell Osimhen this summer

He spoke about the Osimhen situation after he led his side to a 2-1 win over Parma with Osimhen’s replacement, Romelu Lukaku, coming off the bench to score one of the goals.

Osimhen failed to complete his transfer to Chelsea on transfer deadline day over the Blues failure to meet his salary demand.

“Strong players have arrived from a market that was difficult and at times blocked. They came to fill the slots, and I’m happy with the work done by the club,” Conte stated while reflecting on Napoli’s transfer activity.

He, however, also added a pointed remark directed at Osimhen: “Of course, if Osimhen had been sold, we would have completed the situation better.”

Napoli had also been in negotiations with Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli for Osimhen‘s transfer, reportedly for an €80 million proposal.

While Osimhen had agreed on personal terms with Al-Ahli worth a massive €30 million per season, Napoli demanded an extra €5 million in bonuses on top of the €80 million offered, causing the deal to fall through.

There remains a faint hope of a last-minute transfer to Saudi Arabia, as the transfer window in that region remains open until September 2.

Osimhen is still contracted to Napoli until the summer of 2026 and is on a deal worth €10m per year in wages.