Sports
Osimhen’s 7 Sins To Napoli: Reasons Italian Club Want To Ruin Super Eagles Star’s Career
The story of Victor Osimhen and Napoli is a tragedy of two lovers whose flame of passion has dulled into contempt for each other. One summer, they were parading the petal-strewn streets of Naples arm-in-arm, cuddling the Scudetto to the cheers of millions of fans intoxicated by their fairy-tale love story.
A year later, they are back on the same streets but with shrapnel of their battered love littering the ground. Silence replaces the noise from crazed fans as both parties bid farewell after weeks of emotional blackmail and brutal brinksmanship.
It appeared Osimhen was born to play for Napoli. His story mirrored that of the club: a vessel of enormous passion and fury destined for great achievement, which once fell on tough times, and was on the rise to conquer all that was predestined.
Osimhen was predicted to lead the new generation of African football talents after he won the Golden Boot at the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup. But a couple of regretful transfer moves derailed his rise until he joined Lille.
Napoli was one of the corridors through which the world saw Diego Maradona’s greatness when he led the club to two Scudetto titles in 1987 and 1990. The club then fell on hard times and struggled against the big boys of Serie A. Over the following decade, Napoli repeatedly aimed for the big prize but missed.
At this juncture, Osimhen and Napoli blended their struggles into one for €70 million. They piggybacked each other to tick off elusive goals: Napoli won the Serie A for the first time in 33 years, and Osimhen finished as the league’s top scorer and was named the eighth-best player in the world.
Here are seven sin the Nigerian might have committed that triggered many delays in his move away from Napoli:
1. FALL OUT WITH RUDI GARCIA
After Napoli won the Serie A title in the 2022/23 season, Luciano Spalleti left the club to lead the Italian national team.
Rudi Garcia was appointed the new coach, but the French manager had a mixed start. There were also reports of rancour in the dressing room.
The discord became public when Napoli played Bologna in the Serie A in September 2023. Osimhen lost a penalty kick and was substituted by the coach in the 86th minute. The striker reacted angrily to the substitution and yelled at Garcia over the decision.
The game ended goalless, and Osimhen’s attitude was reflected in much of the conversation in the Italian media.
2. MOCKERY VIDEO ON NAPOLI’S TIKTOK
Another controversial incident occurred in the wake of the touchline row with Garcia.
A video that appeared to be mocking Osimhen was uploaded on Napoli’s official TikTok page.
In the clip, a sped-up version of the striker’s penalty miss against Bologna was mashed with high-pitch baby audio sound.
Several football lovers condemned Napoli for uploading the video.
In reaction to the footage, Roberto Calenda, Osimhen’s agent, threatened legal action against Napoli.
Consequently, Osimhen also deleted all posts about Napoli from his Instagram page.
3. EXTENDED NEGOTIATION TO RENEW CONTRACT WITH NAPOLI
Amid all the controversy, Osimhen was yet to extend his contract with the club. The clock was ticking desperately for the club as the player only had one year left on his contract.
Aurelio De Laurentiis, Napoli owner, was keen on committing Osimhen to more years at the club to hold leverage over the striker’s admirers across Europe and beyond.
In October 2023, Napoli, in a statement, accused Osimhen of changing his mind after verbally agreeing to sign a new deal.
The repressed animosity between the two parties was not quelled until December 2023, when Osimhen penned a new deal.
The new deal reportedly doubled his salary to €10 million a season, with a release clause of around €130 million.
However, the negotiating gimmicks left an uneasy crack in the relationship between both parties.
4. OUTBURST AGAINST KVARATSKHELIA’S AGENT
In January 2024, Mamuka Jugeli, agent to Kvicha Kvaratskhelia, a teammate of Osimhen at Napoli, accused the Nigerian of a “lack of ambition”.
The agent insinuated that Osimhen is solely driven by money and the striker will soon move to Saudi Arabia — adding that his client is focused on top European clubs.
The comment elicited an angry response from Osimhen, who posted an expletive-laden post berating the Georgian agent on his Instagram page.
He described the agent as “a piece of filth and a disgrace” and lambasted his “sense of reasoning”.
5. TRANSFER REQUEST AND CONTE’S COMMENTS
Despite an injury-hindered season, Osimhen finished the season with 17 goals in all competitions for Napoli. The club failed to defend the Scudetto and were 10th in the league at the end of the 2023/24 campaign.
Osimhen handed over a transfer request to the club as the summer transfer window opened.
Shortly after, Napoli appointed Antonio Conte as manager, and the Italian repeatedly said that Osimhen would not be part of his plans for the season.
The club looked for a replacement for Osimhen and eventually signed Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea.
6. CHELSEA AND AL AHLI DEALS
Chelsea were among the foremost admirers of Osimhen, and the London club looked keen to sign the striker this summer.
However, both parties failed to see the move through due to disagreement over Osimhen’s wage demand.
The Blues reportedly offered the striker a €4m initial annual salary, a fraction of what he earns at Napoli.
Al Ahli were also interested in getting Osimhen into the Saudi Pro League.
Napoli had initially accepted a £67.3 million (€80m) offer from the Arabian club for the striker, who would have earned £33.6 million (€40m) a season.
But the Italian club reportedly demanded another €5 million added to the deal, prompting Al Ahli to look elsewhere and sign Ivan Tooney from Brentford.
7. NAPOLI EXCLUDE OSIMHEN FROM THE SERIE A SQUAD
Following the collapse of the potential transfer deals, Napoli axed Osimhen from its first team.
He was not registered for the 2022/25 Serie A season, and his jersey number was initially administered to Lukaku.
Sixteen-year-old Oluwakemi Adegbuyi has been named Player of the Tournament after helping Edo Queens win the 2026 WAFU-B Women’s title and qualify for the 2026/27 CAF Women’s Champions League.
The Nigerian champions defeated Ghanaian side Ampem Darkoa 4-1 on penalties after the final ended 2-2 in regulation time in Burkina Faso on Sunday.
Edo Queens looked set to suffer defeat after conceding an early penalty, but they refused to give up and found a late equaliser in the 90+3rd minute to force the game into a shootout.
They held their nerve from the spot, converting four penalties while Ampem Darkoa managed just one to claim the WAFU-B crown and secure their place in the Champions League.
Adegbuyi was one of the standout performers throughout the competition.
The Nigeria U-17 international scored twice in Edo Queens’ 3-1 win over ASEC Mimosas, finding the net on her debut before scoring again in her second appearance.
Her impressive displays earned her the Golden Ball award as the tournament’s best player.
The teenager also enjoyed a remarkable 2025/26 season with FC Robo Queens, scoring 11 goals during the NWFL Premiership regular season and Super Six playoffs. Her form earned her the NWFL Premiership Player of the Season award.
Adegbuyi has now added the WAFU-B Player of the Tournament prize to her growing collection of individual honours and will be among the players to watch at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco from October 17 to November 7.
Meanwhile, Edo State Deputy Governor Dennis Idahosa described Edo Queens’ qualification for the CAF Women’s Champions League as a remarkable achievement for the state and Nigerian women’s football.
In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Friday Aghedo, in Benin, Idahosa praised the players and technical crew for their resilience, discipline and determination.
“The feat is a remarkable achievement that has further placed Edo State at the forefront of women’s football in Nigeria and West Africa,” he said.
Idahosa also commended Governor Monday Okpebholo for his administration’s investment in sports development and praised Edo State Sports Commission chairman Amadin Enabulele for his leadership and support.
“I congratulate the players, coaches, technical crew, officials and the entire Edo Queens family on this well-deserved qualification,” Idahosa said.
“You have made Edo State and Nigeria proud. Your victory is a testament to what can be achieved when talent is matched with discipline, commitment and the right investment.
“We are proud of you and look forward to seeing you make an even greater mark on the continental stage.”
Manchester City are preparing an opening bid for Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez as manager Enzo Maresca looks to rebuild his midfield before next week’s transfer deadline.
The Argentina international has emerged as a priority target for Maresca following several high-profile departures from the Etihad Stadium this summer. The 25-year-old also shares a strong relationship with his former Chelsea manager, who left Stamford Bridge on New Year’s Day before taking charge of City in June.
Chelsea know about City’s interest. Naija News reports that the Blues previously set an unofficial deadline for a potential deal and placed a minimum £120m valuation on Fernandez, but that deadline passed without an agreement.
City are now expected to return for the midfielder before the window closes. A successful move could make Fernandez one of the most expensive signings in Premier League history, behind only Liverpool’s £125 million deal for Alexander Isak.
The Premier League champions have already paid £116 million for Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest and could break their transfer record for a second time in the same window.
Maresca wants another midfielder after a major reshuffle in the department. Tijjani Reijnders joined Saudi Arabian club Al-Qadsiah for £52 million; Barcelona signed Rodri for £65 million; Newcastle agreed a £52 million deal for Nico Gonzalez; and Bernardo Silva left earlier in the summer before joining Real Madrid.
Fernandez’s future has remained under scrutiny since Chelsea’s Champions League elimination by Paris Saint-Germain in March. He and his agent, former PSG midfielder Javier Pastore, attracted interest from Real Madrid, although the Spanish giants later issued a statement denying any attempt to sign the midfielder.
Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso also revealed in July that he had held a private conversation with Fernandez, who joined the club from Benfica for £107m in 2023, but declined to disclose what they discussed.
The midfielder came on as a second-half substitute during Monday’s 3-2 win over Fulham and faced boos from home supporters over his role in England’s World Cup exit. After celebrating briefly with the travelling fans and his teammates, Fernandez headed straight down the tunnel at the final whistle.
Coventry sign Pinnock from Brentford
Meanwhile, Coventry City have completed the signing of Jamaica centre-back Ethan Pinnock from Brentford for an undisclosed fee, reported to be around £6m.
The 33-year-old joins the Sky Blues after six years with Brentford, where he made 216 appearances and scored 12 goals. He arrived at the West London club from Barnsley in 2019 and played an important role in their promotion to the Premier League.
Pinnock, however, lost his regular place in Brentford’s starting side and made only eight appearances in all competitions last season.
“I’m really excited to join Coventry City and continue my footballing journey with this great club,” Pinnock said.
“After 25 years, the club are back in the Premier League, and I know how much it must mean to everyone involved. I can’t wait to be part of it.”
Pinnock becomes Coventry’s 10th signing of the summer and their second defensive addition after Aurele Amenda arrived from Eintracht Frankfurt in July.
He also joins former Brentford teammate Frank Onyeka at Coventry. The Sky Blues have spent more than £100m this summer as they prepare for their return to the Premier League.
Chelsea make Martinez enquiries
Chelsea are also considering a move for Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez after making contact with the Argentina international’s representatives.
Villa could allow the 33-year-old to leave after signing Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki from Parma for around £30m earlier this month.
A move for Martinez could lead to further business between Chelsea and Villa. Chelsea signed Morgan Rogers for a club-record £117m, while Alejandro Garnacho moved in the opposite direction on an initial loan deal. Nicolas Jackson, valued at around £65m, could also join Villa and reunite with former manager Unai Emery.
The clubs have developed a strong transfer relationship and previously completed a deal widely described as a PSR swap, which took Ian Maatsen to Villa and Omari Kellyman to Chelsea.
Juventus also tried to sign Martinez earlier in the window, but the move collapsed amid concerns over a finger injury. The Italian club instead signed Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario on loan.
Chelsea’s interest comes amid growing concerns over Robert Sanchez’s recent performances. The Spaniard was beaten at his near post by Josh King against Fulham before spilling another effort into a dangerous area, allowing Gonzalo Garcia to score in Chelsea’s 3-2 win at Craven Cottage.
Chelsea’s second-choice goalkeeper Mike Penders, who returned from a successful loan spell at Strasbourg this summer, could start against Luton.
Manchester City midfielder Nico O’Reilly has been named the Professional Footballers’ Association Young Player of the Year for the 2025/26 season.
The 21-year-old was announced as the winner at the 53rd annual PFA Awards ceremony in Manchester, United Kingdom, on Tuesday.
O’Reilly emerged ahead of five other nominees after players voted for their preferred candidate in the category.
The other nominees were Manchester City teammate Rayan Cherki, Arsenal youngster Max Dowman, Bournemouth forward Junior Kroupi, Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo and Liverpool winger Rio Ngumoha.
The PFA Young Player of the Year award is determined by votes from professional footballers, with players recognising the outstanding young performers from the season.
O’Reilly enjoyed a breakthrough campaign with City, featuring in 53 matches across competitions and contributing directly to 15 goals. He impressed in both midfield and at left-back during the season.
His performances had already earned him the Premier League Young Player of the Season award, with the league describing the England international as one of the standout young players of the 2025/26 campaign.
O’Reilly was also instrumental in Manchester City’s domestic campaign, including scoring both goals in the club’s 2-0 victory over Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final.
His latest recognition makes him one of the young players to have enjoyed the biggest breakthrough seasons in English football, having established himself as an important member of Pep Guardiola’s squad.
O’Reilly’s victory also means Manchester City continue their strong record in the PFA Young Player of the Year category, with the club having produced previous winners including Leroy Sane, Raheem Sterling and Phil Foden.
New Files Allege Sudan Military Built Chlorine Weapons Program
Former Nigerian Senator dies At 62
2027: ADC Suffers Setback As Popular Reps Aspirant Dumps Party
Former Super Eagles Star Loses Life Savings, Duped By A Pastor of ₦1.2 Billion
I’m A Married Man, I Can Never Get Myself Involved With Such A Thing, Delta Gov Aide Reveals Why He Offered Comfort ₦500,000 Job
