Napoli in U-turn withdraw Osimhen number 9 jersey from Lukaku

Napoli in U-turn withdraw Osimhen number 9 jersey from Lukaku

Napoli have withdrawn Victor Osimhen’s iconic jersey number nine from new signing Romelu Lukaku.

Earlier on Saturday, the star forward’s jersey was handed to Lukaku, as the club also officially removed the Nigerian striker from their Serie A squad list for the 2024-25 season.

However, the club revealed later that the initial decision had been reversed, with Lukaku handing jersey number 11 instead of the figure published earlier.

The turnaround means Osimhen will retain his number nine jersey, but the Super Eagles striker remained unregistered for the 2024/25 Serie A season.

This comes on the heels of a disastrous transfer deadline day, during which he was unable to finalise moves to either Chelsea or Al-Ahli.

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Osimhen was asking for a wage package worth over £300,000-a-week from Chelsea, according to Sky Sports.

The Blues were reportedly ready to continue talks with the striker but their approach went unanswered, leaving them to consider the deal off.

Napoli had also been in negotiations with Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli for Osimhen‘s transfer, reportedly for an €80 million proposal.

While Osimhen had agreed on personal terms with Al-Ahli worth a massive €30 million per season, Napoli demanded an extra €5 million in bonuses on top of the €80 million offered, causing the deal to fall through.

There remains a faint hope of a last-minute transfer to Saudi Arabia, as the transfer window in that region remains open until September 2.

Osimhen is still contracted to Napoli until the summer of 2026 and is on a deal worth €10m per year in wages.

Napoli in U-turn withdraw Osimhen number 9 jersey from Lukaku