Osimhen ponders next move as Saudi transfer window closes today

Following their inability to secure a move to any of Europe’s big clubs during the just-ended transfer window, Victor Osimhen’s camp is now looking at their options, which are few, before this summer’s transfer opportunity closes globally.

Already, Osimhen’s Manager, Roberto Calenda, has dismissed suggestions that his client would head to Saudi Arabia following the Napoli striker’s failed move to Chelsea.

In the wake of negotiations between Napoli and Saudi’s Al Ahli, Calenda came out to rule out the possibility of his client moving to the Middle East, saying, “Osimhen is a Napoli player, with a contract recently renewed with mutual satisfaction. He made history and when there were major offers (also this year) we always accepted the club’s decisions.

As I said, it is not a package to be shipped far away to make room for new prophets. Victor was elected African Footballer of the Year, eighth at the Ballon d’Or, he still has so much to do in Europe. There is a need for respect and balance.”

In the wake of this, however, Napoli Manager, Antonio Conte, has ruled out the possibility of reintegrating the Nigerian into his squad, at least for the first half of the 2024/25 season.

Conte said at the weekend: “Those who are out of the project will remain out of the project. We made our choices and worked in one direction all together.”

Clarifying Napoli’s stance on the Osimhen saga, the club’s Sporting Director, Giovanni Manna, at the weekend, said: “The situation is very clear, it has been since the end of last season. Victor expressed his absolute desire to not stay at Napoli, and to not play for Napoli, and we tried to make him happy.

“Then there is a demand and an offer, we thought that we had concluded the negotiations, but then it