Club fear ‘furious’ £150m striker ‘will have to be sold’ in 2024 with Arsenal, Chelsea, Man Utd keen
Napoli may be forced to cash in on Victor Osimhen next summer after the striker was left ‘furious’ with a post on the club’s TikTok account, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Osimhen’s agent Roberto Calenda issued a statement on Tuesday night about the bizarre video which was seemingly mocking the Nigerian striker.
The odd video comes after Osimhen helped the Italian team secure the Serie A title, the club’s first in three decades.
Calenda wrote on X: “What happened today on Napoli’s official profile on the TikTok platform is not acceptable. A video mocking Victor was first made public and then, but now belatedly, deleted.
“A serious fact that causes very serious damage to the player and adds to the treatment that the boy is suffering in the last period between media trials and fake news.”
The agent added: “We reserve the right to take legal action and any useful initiative to protect Victor.”
The video featured a clip of the striker’s penalty miss from their match against Bologna on Sunday, with a strange, sped-up voice dubbed over the top.
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There was tension between Osimhen and Napoli manager Rudi Garcia during the 0-0 draw, with the 24-year-old Nigerian striker seen berating his boss as he was substituted off with four minutes remaining.
Osimhen’s current contract runs until the summer of 2025, though the club are keen to extend the player’s deal.
This now looks increasingly unlikely, which could make the striker a big opportunity in the market next year.
Manchester United were linked over the summer, though it is Chelsea and Arsenal now looking to sign Osimhen next year.
With Osimhen and Napoli’s relationship in disarray, Romano has said he could be sold next summer as he enters the final year of his contract.
Romano says it was a ‘tense situation’ after the Nigerian berated Garcia, but he ‘spoke to the squad and sent a positive message’, with their problems quickly put behind them.
The TikTok video has re-opened the can of worms, however, with Osimhen ‘considering legal action’ as ‘joking about a missed penalty is not okay at all’.
Osimhen is apparently ‘furious’ with the situation with a new contract still on the table amid stalled negotiations over a release clause.
If there is legal action, Napoli ‘will have to sell’ in 2024 so they do not lose him for nothing a year later.
Romano adds that this potential transfer is one to ‘keep an eye on’ as Osimhen ‘could be a potential bomb for the market’.
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