Romano reveals Osimhen will not play for any club until January, barring any unexpected developments 

Italian transfer market guru Fabrizio Romano has provided an update on the future of Napoli center forward Victor Osimhen who has been dominating the back pages at home and abroad due to a transfer imbroglio over his failed moves to Chelsea and Al-Ahli.

Osimhen had been linked with Chelsea throughout the summer but the stumbling block to a deal was his wage demands, far below what he's currently earning in Naples. 

The reigning African Footballer of the Year is now without a jersey number at Napoli after the number was taken from him and handed to former Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku.

Osimhen still wants to leave Napoli but it won't be easy as most of the glamorous European Leagues have closed their transfer windows.

Although the Saudi transfer window is open until September 2, Napoli sporting director Giovanni Manna has indicated that he does not see Osimhen joining a Saudi Pro League club on Monday.

Manna and manager Antonio Conte have made it clear that they have no intention of reintegrating the Nigerian into the squad after his botched moves to Chelsea and Al-Ahli. 

Romano has highlighted that it means the Nigerian will be inactive until the January transfer window, barring any unexpected developments.

Speaking on his YouTube channel on Sunday evening, he said: "They are not going to change anything. The players who are in the squad now, okay, the players who are out are out, so no chance for Osimhen, Mário Rui and other players because the idea of Napoli is to continue with this group.

"It means it remains a very tense situation for Osimhen, a very difficult situation probably unless something crazy happens from other markets, we will not see him playing football with a club till the January transfer window.

"And then in that case it's going to be important to see what happens because obviously the January transfer window could be really important for the future of Victor Osimhen."

Osimhen has won the Napoli jersey in 133 official games since landing at the club from Lille in 2020 and his most spectacular campaign was in 2022-2023 in which he tallied 31 goals in all competitions as the Blues won the Scudetto for the first time in 33 years.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

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