Victor Osimhen Demotes Himself to Napoli's U23 Team After Failed Transfer Move

Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen has opted to demote himself to Napoli's U23 team after being left out of the club's official 23-man Serie A squad for the season. This decision follows a tumultuous summer transfer window where his anticipated move away from Napoli failed to materialize.

Osimhen, who played a pivotal role in Napoli's Scudetto win two seasons ago with 26 goals, signed a contract extension in December 2023, keeping him at the club until 2026 with a release clause of €130 million. Despite this, the 25-year-old found himself sidelined as negotiations with Chelsea and Saudi Pro League club Al Ahli fell through.

"Victor Osimhen was not included in Napoli's official 23-man Serie A squad for this season, after the Nigerian striker's expected move away from the club failed to materialize," reported ESPN on August 31, 2024.

Napoli's president, Aurelio De Laurentiis, had previously indicated that Osimhen would leave at the end of the season. However, with wage demands unmet by Chelsea and an unsatisfactory offer from Al Ahli, the transfer did not proceed. Al Ahli instead signed Ivan Toney from Brentford and Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea.

Following the closure of the transfer window, Napoli's coach expressed his frustration. "If we had been able to sell Osimhen, it would've been an even better situation, but what happened cannot be changed and we move on," he said.

Osimhen's decision to play for the U23 team reflects his dissatisfaction with the current situation. "We take these three points knowing full well that we have to work after this absurdity of the transfer market," the coach added, criticizing the timing of the transfer window.