The relationship between Victor Osimhen and Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis has reportedly broken down further
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has recently expressed his frustration with star striker Victor Osimhen’s availability issues and the impact it had on the Partenopei’s poor 2023/24 season.
Osimhen injuries and Napoli’s failures
Osimhen, who helped Napoli secure their first Serie A title in 33 years in the 2022/23 season with 26 goals in 32 appearances during that campaign has struggled with fitness this season in addition to missing a month of action due to his participation in the Africa Cup of Nations.
Osimhen has played only 24 of 37 Serie A games this campaign and despite scoring 15 times and providing three assists in those games, the Nigerian striker’s absence in key games has been deeply felt by Napoli.
The former champions were able to win only four of the 13 matches that Osimhen missed in the league this season as they put up the worst title defence in 20-team Serie A history.
During a press conference as the 2023-24 season draws to a close, Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis did not hold back his criticism the star striker, suggesting that Osimhen's fitness issues limited his ability to contribute consistently to the team.
He told reporters, "You can’t force coaches to train a club or you can’t make sure that your first striker scores twenty-eight goals and that he is not ill and that perhaps he participated in 50% of the matches he should have played."
"I collect everything about myself. That’s fine, but I mean, at a certain point, I also send something back to the sender,"
Osimhen is unlikely to be a Napoli player for much longer as the Nigeria international is coveted by a host of other clubs ahead of a possible summer transfer. The star forward reportedly has a release clause worth €120 million and several interested clubs willing to pay the fee.
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