Conte rules out Osimhen’s return to Napoli first team

Napoli manager Antonio Conte has confirmed that Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen will not be reintroduced to the first team.

Conte made the statement during his post-match briefing following Napoli’s 2-1 win over Parma at the Stadio Maradona on Saturday night.

Osimhen has been excluded from Napoli’s Serie A squad this season, with his replacement, Romelu Lukaku, taking over the No.9 shirt.

The Nigerian forward was reportedly in discussions with PSG, Chelsea, and Al-Ahli during the summer transfer window, but no club was able to reach an agreement with either Osimhen or Napoli, resulting in the current CAF African Player of the Year staying at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.

Conte described the summer transfer window as “tough” for Napoli. “Some issues blocked it; perhaps if we had unlocked that [Osimhen] situation, we would have completed the team differently and earlier,” Conte said. “The club made an effort, and I must be happy with it.”

Despite not finalising Osimhen’s sale, Napoli secured Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea for €30 million. “I’m sorry about what happened. I’m sorry for Osimhen. I’m sorry for the club that didn’t monetise. I am sorry for myself because we didn’t complete the team as we wanted, but the club proved to be consistent in this situation,” Conte added.

Conte emphasised the importance of consistency and following club policies. “Coherence is the starting point when it comes to respecting the rules. The club proved consistent, so I praise them for this attitude,” he noted.

When asked if there was a possibility of reintroducing players like Osimhen or Mario Rui, who is also not included in the Serie A squad, Conte was unequivocal. “No, this is the team. This is the group,” he asserted. “We made decisions. I mentioned coherence before. Those who are not consistent don’t respect the rules. I repeat, respect to the club. The president proved consistent despite losing important money—credit where credit is due.”

Conte concluded by reflecting on Napoli’s approach and the steps taken to rebuild the squad. “The club was consistent, knowing that if the situation had unlocked earlier, we would all have been advantaged.

As I said, we’ve started rebuilding. Good players arrived. They were on the table. It took us time to understand and think about it, but we signed them, and I am happy. We didn’t do everything, and it’s okay, but I think the club did well.”