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- Victor Osimhen's relationship with Napoli deteriorated totally before he left the club on loan
- President Aurelio De Laurentiis, who has owned the club since 2004, is a tough negotiator
- Osimhen joins a list of players whom the club frustrated before allowing to join other clubs
Victor Osimhen's relationship with Napoli was totally broken before the Nigerian forward left the club to join Turkish champions Galatasaray on a season-long loan.
Osimhen rejected the proposed move to Chelsea over a disagreement on personal terms, but the Italian club botched moves to Paris Saint-Germain and Al-Ahli.
Source: Getty Images
Napoli have a history of being tightfisted on players wanting to leave since Aurelio De Laurentiis bought the club in 2024, and the Super Eagles star will not be the first.
Legit.ng looks at some players whom the club frustrated before they were allowed to leave.
1. Edinson Cavani
The Uruguayan forward joined Napoli in 2010 on an initial loan with an obligation to buy. He hit form straight away, forming a deadly trio with Ezequiel Lavezzi and Marek Hamsik. According to Sky Sports, ADL rejected bids of up to €55 million from Manchester City and Chelsea before selling him to PSG a year later.
2. Ezequiel Lavezzi
Lavezzi joined Napoli in 2007 and had been attempting to leave the club since 2009 before he was eventually granted his request in 2012 when he joined PSG. Premier League clubs Chelsea, Manchester City, and even Tottenham inquired, but the Italians refused to sell.
3. Kalidou Koulibaly
Koulibaly spent eight seasons at Napoli after joining from Genk in 2014. He was one of the best defenders in the world for many years, which made him a target for top European clubs. According to Football Italia, De Laurentiis rejected Manchester United’s £95 million bid in 2018, and the Reds signed Harry Maguire instead. He was eventually sold to Chelsea for £34mil in 2022.
4. Marek Hamsik
The Slovakian midfielder spent almost 12 years at Napoli and was denied moves to top European clubs at his peak, including Juventus and Chelsea. He was eventually sold to Chinese club Dalian Professional
5. Dries Mertens
The Belgian forward is one of the best Napoli players in the club's history. He left the club after nine years as the all-time top scorer with 148 goals in 397 games, as noted by Transfermarkt. He was denied a transfer multiple times, including to Chelsea and Liverpool, before eventually joining Galatasaray in 2022.
6. Lorenzo Insigne
Insigne came through the ranks at Napoli and won two Coppa Italia in his 12 seasons in the first team. Inter Milan, Barcelona and Liverpool all went for the winger at different points for as much as €100mil, but Napoli rejected all. He left in 2022 and joined MLS franchise Toronto FC.
7. Gonzalo Higuain
Arsenal and Atletico Madrid came for the Argentine striker on different occasions during his three-year stint at Estadio Diego Armando Maradona. He was eventually sold to rivals Juventus for €90mil immediately after winning the Serie A Golden Boot with a record 36 goals in the 2015/16 season.
Ex-international want Osimhen suspended
Legit.ng reported that a former Nigerian footballer called for Victor Osimhen's suspension from the national team over his Instagram live rant against ex-coach Finidi George.
Osimhen has endured difficult past months at club and country, and it peaked after he reacted to a false claim that his commitment to Nigeria was questioned after Finidi’s resignation.
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Source: Legit.ng
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