Osimhen Joins Napoli for Pre-season Training Amid Uncertainty Over Future

The future of Super Eagles striker, Victor Osimhen has been a matter of discussion long even before the end of last season, with another season expected to kickoff next month, the future of the current African Footballer of the Year is still uncertain.

According to a report from Sky Sport Italia however, the striker has resumed pre-season training with Napoli amid uncertainty regarding his future.

The 25-year-old was one of the players to have resumed for the start of the Parthenopeans preseason which is taking place at Castel Volturno, Italy, under the supervision of new manager, Antonio Conte.

Osimhen’s future is hanging in the balance as it is not looking likely that he is going to get a move to the Premier League which is his preferred destination.

With a release clause worth €130m, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal, which are the English clubs to have been linked with him, find his valuation excessive and are exploring alternatives.

Manchester United are on the verge of concluding a deal for cap-tied Joshua Zirkzee, Chelsea are focusing on younger forwards like Spanish-Nigerian striker Samu Omorodion while Arsenal have also been linked with Viktor Gyökeres.

While there is a possibility that either Al-Ahli or Al-Hilal pay his release clause and pay him huge wages, the reigning African Footballer of the Year doesn’t fancy a move to the Saudi Pro-League yet.

With this impasse over his future, Conte will be working with the Nigeria international until a solution emerges and if there is none, he will be expected to play a major part for Napoli next season.

Meanwhile, former Napoli and Italy striker, Cristian Bucchi, has warned Osimhen against leaving the 2023 Serie A Champions.
Osimhen is expected to leave the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in the coming weeks, with his sights set on a move to the English Premier League.

Arsenal and Chelsea are the likeliest destinations for the former VFL Wolfsburg striker, but Paris Saint-Germain are also interested, while Saudi Arabian side, Al-Ahli, are willing to offer whatever it takes to have the Nigerian on their books.

Bucchi believes it’ll be in the forward’s best interest to stay with Antonio Conte’s new side.

“We’ll see. Osimhen? I’m not convinced that at those prices he can move to any club in Europe. I don’t think Paris Saint-Germain and the Premier League sides will make the certain offer. Arabia would be the only solution, but the player will have to understand. I hope that either he stays at Napoli, where he could grow with Conte, or that some European club can make an important offer. I would tell him to stay at Napoli. Conte and the club want to keep them. So I know the situation will be resolved. The guarantee is Conte. He knows that these players will be functional to his idea of his game. He has already demonstrated it many times, even in the national team,” the 47-year-old said on Radio Punto Zero in quotes revealed by Calcio Napoli.

Should Osimhen leave, it is believed that Conte’s preference is Chelsea’s Romelu Lukaku.