New Napoli manager Antonio Conte has revealed his admiration for Victor Osimhen, emphasising that the Super Eagles striker is an elite footballer, Soccernet.ng reports.
Conte was appointed as Napoli boss on 5 June with the former Chelsea and Tottenham manager signing a three-year contract with the club, set to be activated on 1 July.
However, the 54-year-old gaffer held his first press conference today as Napoli’s new coach alongside President Aurelio De Laurentiis.
One of the hottest topics he had to handle was the potential departure of star forward Osimhen.
While admitting that Osimhen is a top player that he would love to work with, Conte confirmed that there were no guarantees that the Nigerian star would be in Naples when the new season starts in August.
Conte emphasised that Osimhen already had a deal with the club to leave when suitable suitors arrived long before he was appointed the Napoli manager.
“As far as Osimhen is concerned, just as I knew very well about the situation of Kvara, Di Lorenzo, Anguissa, Lobotka, on whom I had an absolute veto, I know very well about the Osimhen situation,” Conte said, as per Football Italia.
“I know that there are agreements with the club, it’s a totally different situation, which I’ll witness. Then if you ask me about the player, he’s a top player, but I can’t get into any discussions about Osimhen because these are previous agreements.”
Osimhen signed a contract extension with Napoli in November but it had a release clause inserted. With a number of Premier League clubs – including Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United – interested in the 25-year-old, Napoli are already prepared to let him leave.
One of Osimhen's potential replacements at the Diego Maradona Stadium is Chelsea-owned Romelu Lukaku. Lukaku and Conte worked great together at Inter Milan, winning the Scudetto in 2021.
And Conte refused to wave away speculations that Napoli are looking to sign the Belgian forward.
“As for Romelu Lukaku, we’re talking about a strong player, as with Osimhen we’re talking about excellent players,” Conte added.
“There’s no comment to make, you just have to admire them when they play and always hope to have them on your side and never against you.”
Osimhen is presently on holiday in Nigeria and was, a few hours ago, spotted at the wedding ceremony of one of Nigeria's superstar artists, Davido.
Conte’s experience with Romelu Lukaku, a potential replacement for Osimhen, adds an interesting dynamic. Their successful partnership at Inter Milan, culminating in a Scudetto win, could influence Napoli’s plans moving forward. As the new season approaches, the transfer market activities involving Osimhen and Lukaku will be crucial to watch.