Has Romelu Lukaku’s jersey decision opened a way back for Victor Osimhen at Napoli after failed Chelsea move?

Napoli might be looking to mend fences with Victor Osimhen after his transfer moves to Al-Ahli and Chelsea fell apart, especially in light of Romelu Lukaku’s unexpected decision regarding his shirt number, Soccernet.ng reports.

Initially, reports suggested that Osimhen had been left out of Napoli’s Serie A squad and that Lukaku had taken his iconic Number 9 shirt, seemingly indicating there was no way back for the Nigerian star.

However, in a surprising twist, Lukaku has been assigned the Number 11 jersey, as shown in a post on Napoli’s official X page. 

 

This development has sparked speculation, that Napoli might be attempting to repair their strained relationship with Osimhen.

The rift reportedly worsened on deadline day, with tensions escalating into heated arguments over the phone.

The failed transfers came about for different reasons.

Napoli’s demand for an additional €5 million in bonuses from Al-Ahli caused that deal to collapse, despite agreeing on a base fee of €70 million plus €10 million in add-ons.

Meanwhile, Osimhen rejected Chelsea’s offer, which included a €4 million base salary and an additional €4 million contingent on performance—a deal that fell far short of his current earnings at Napoli.

Antonio Conte, Napoli’s head coach, has made his stance clear, warning that Osimhen might not feature in his plans.

“Strong players have arrived…if Osimhen had been sold, we would have completed the situation better,” Conte remarked, hinting at a bleak future for the striker at the club.

Despite this, with Lukaku now wearing the Number 11, there may yet be a glimmer of hope for Osimhen at Napoli.