7 Players Napoli Frustrated Before Allowing to Leave Amid Victor Osimhen’s Saga

7 Players Napoli Frustrated Before Allowing to Leave Amid Victor Osimhen’s Saga

  • 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.

Victor Osimhen in action for Napoli against AS Roma in the Serie A.
Victor Osimhen looks dejected after Napoli vs AS Roma. Photo by Francesco Pecoraro.
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.

YEN.com.gh looks at some players whom the club frustrated before they were allowed to leave.

Read also

‘He served with his heart’: ex NFF boss Pinnick defends Osimhen amidst Napoli exit saga

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.

Read also

Victor Osimhen: how his relationship with Napoli broke down before Galatasaray move

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.

Read also

Victor Osimhen given hero’s welcoming at Super Eagles camp after joining Galatasaray

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.

Pinnick defends Osimhen amidst Napoli exit

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that the former President of the Nigerian Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick, has defended striker Victor Osimhen after his loan move from Napoli to Galatasaray.

Osimhen was denied a deadline-day move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli after Napoli botched the move due to excessive demands, while the player rejected Chelsea’s offer due to unsatisfactory terms.

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Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Richard Nutakor avatar

Richard Nutakor (Sports Editor) Richard Nutakor is a digital media enthusiast with over 8 years of working experience in media and digital. He's worked with notable media brands in Ghana like Media General, owners of TV3 Ghana, 3FM, Onua FM & Connect FM. He's also worked with Global Media Alliance as a Digital Account Manager. He obtained a Bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of Ghana in 2016 and a Masters in Brands and Communication Management from the University of Professional Studies, Accra. Email: richard.kekeli@sportsbrief.com