Napoli coach Antonio Conte has reaffirmed the club’s stance on the Victor Osimhen situation, making it clear that the Nigerian forward will not be reintroduced to the first team.
Conte discussed the issue during a press conference on Saturday night, following Napoli’s 2-1 victory over Parma at the Stadio Maradona.
Osimhen, who was notably absent from Napoli’s Serie A squad, has been replaced by Romelu Lukaku. Throughout the summer transfer window, Osimhen was linked with potential moves to Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, and Al-Ahli, but none of these negotiations resulted in a transfer.
Conte described the transfer window as “tough” for Napoli, highlighting the challenges the club faced in resolving Osimhen’s future.
“Some issues blocked the transfer; perhaps if we had resolved the Osimhen situation, we would have completed the team differently and earlier,” Conte explained.
Despite the difficulties, Napoli managed to secure Lukaku from Chelsea for €30 million, although they did not receive any funds from Osimhen’s sale.
Conte expressed his disappointment over the outcome, stating, “I’m sorry about what happened. I’m sorry for Osimhen, for the club that didn’t monetize, and for myself because we didn’t complete the team as we wanted. But the club remained consistent in this situation.”
Conte emphasized the importance of consistency and respect for the club’s decisions, especially in light of the financial challenges.
“Coherence is the starting point when it comes to respecting the rules. The club proved consistent, and I praise them for this attitude,” he said.
When asked about the possibility of reintegrating players like Osimhen and Mario Rui, who are also not part of Napoli’s Serie A squad, Conte was unequivocal: “No, this is the team. This is the group. We made decisions based on consistency and respect for the club.”
Reflecting on the overall transfer window, Conte acknowledged that while not everything went according to plan, the club’s efforts were commendable.
“We’ve started rebuilding. Good players arrived. It took us time to understand and think about it, but we signed them, and I am happy. We didn’t do everything, but I think the club did well,” he concluded.
Conte’s comments underscore Napoli’s commitment to maintaining consistency and upholding the club’s values, even in the face of a challenging transfer window and the unresolved situation with one of their key players.