Napoli exclude Victor Osimhen from Serie A squad and strips player of No.9 after failing to force a move to Chelsea or Saudi Arabia 

Napoli outcast Victor Osimhen's number nine jersey has been handed over to Romelu Lukaku, after failing to make Premier League or Saudi move.

Napoli exclude Victor Osimhen from Serie A squad and strips player of No.9 after failing to force a move to Chelsea or Saudi Arabia 

Victor Osimhen failed to make a move out of Napoli, despite interest from Al-Ahli and Chelsea. (via Guardian)

Victor Osimhen has found himself in ‘no man’s land’ after being excluded from Napoli’s squad for the upcoming Serie A season. The 25-year-old forward has also been stripped of his number 9 jersey, after having failed to make a transfer out of the club.

The Nigerian forward’s future at Naples had been in doubt since the end of the 2023-24 season, owing to some major differences with the club management. He was tipped to Manchester United, Chelsea or Arsenal. However, his £113 million price-tag proved to be a major hindrance for the Blues who were leading the race to sign the forward, who had scored more than 60 goals over the last three seasons. Saudi side Al-Ahli also emerged as potential suitors, having offered an £80 million deal.

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However, Victor Osimhen’s desire to not leave Europe, and Chelsea’s signing of Pedro Neto and Jadon Sancho before the deadline day, left him with no other options. He has now been left back at Napoli, and finds himself out of the squad for the season. The club having already signed ex-Inter Milan star Romelu Lukaku as a replacement. To make matters worse, the former Lille star has now been stripped of his number nine jersey, with the player finding no place in manager Antonio Conte‘s plans.

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Meanwhile, Al-Ahli side also closed their doors on the 2022-23 Serie A top-scorer, after acquiring Brentford star Ivan Toney for £40 million. The out-of-favor Nigerian forward’s only way out of the club could now be the middle-east, with their transfer window open until next week. 

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Napoli end impressive summer transfer window with Brighton midfielder Billy Gilmour’s signing

The 2022 Serie A champions capped off their brilliant summer transfer window with the signing of Brighton midfielder Billy Gilmour, for €14 million. The 23-year-old former Chelsea academy graduate, will be a brilliant addition to Antonio Conte’s revamped Napoli side. 

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Brighton’s midfielder Billy Gilmour added to Napoli list of new signings. (via Transfermarkt)

Apart from the Scottish international, Napoli spent huge on other signings. The list includes Alessandro Buongiorno from Torino, Scott McTominay from Manchester United, Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea and Leonardo Spinazzola from Roma. They also signed youngsters David Neres and Rafa Marin, taking their total summer spending to €149 million. 

The club also brought back midfielder Michael Folorunsho, after his impressive loan spell at Hellas Verona. Outgoings include Leo Ostigard, Piotr Zielinski and Jesper Lindstrom and Natan on loan. 

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