After stellar seasons at Napoli, the Lagos native rose to prominence as one of Europe’s most sought-after strikers, with links to Chelsea, Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, and Liverpool, among other teams.
The Nigerian striker was in a precarious situation as the transfer window closed on Friday, and his planned move to Stamford Bridge fell through, despite his willingness to leave the club.
Osimhen’s most likely destination was Chelsea, but the Saudi Arabian team Al-Ahli also surfaced as a contender. The agreement between them and Napoli for the move even reportedly included clauses, but the Italian side’s demand for an additional €5 million on top of the €80 million transfer fee caused the deal to collapse.
Despite Osimhen and other players’ failure to bolster the squad as planned, Conte is determined that they will not be reintegrated into the team as the 2024–25 season progresses.
During a press conference on Saturday after the game, Conte stated, “Some issues blocked it; perhaps if we had unlocked that [Osimhen] situation, we would have completed the team differently and earlier.”
“I apologize for what transpired. I apologize to Osimhen. I apologize to the club that failed to turn a profit. I apologize for not being able to finish the team as we had hoped, but the club showed itself to be dependable in this instance,” Conte went on.
When it comes to following the rules, coherence is the first step. I applaud the club for their attitude because they demonstrated consistency.
Conte is adamant that the team handled Osimhen and the other players who weren’t on the squad consistently.
This is the team, not you. This is the team, he continued.
“We came to some conclusions. I have discussed coherence. People who lack consistency disregard the regulations. Again, I say, respect the club. Despite losing significant funds, the president demonstrated consistency—credit where credit is due. The club remained steady, understanding that we would all have benefited if the circumstances had been opened up sooner. We’ve begun rebuilding, as I mentioned. The good players came. They were placed on the table. We signed them after taking some time to consider and comprehend, and I’m glad we did. The club performed admirably, in my opinion, even though we didn’t accomplish everything.
