Napoli President confirms Victor Osimhen’s departure, speculates on potential destinations, and rules out Mourinho as coach
Napoli’s president, Aurelio De Laurentiis, has made a significant announcement regarding the future of Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen, confirming that the player will depart the club at the end of the season after four seasons with Napoli. De Laurentiis revealed that this decision was not sudden, stating that discussions about Osimhen’s departure had been ongoing since the summer.
He emphasized that negotiations, although amicable, took a considerable amount of time.
According to De Laurentiis, the destination for Osimhen is likely to be either Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, or an English club.
The president disclosed this information following a meeting of the Italian league. Osimhen, aged 25, is currently representing Nigeria in the Africa Cup of Nations under the management of Portuguese coach José Peseiro.
The striker signed a contract extension with Napoli in December, extending his commitment until June 2026, with a release clause set at €130 million.
Addressing the possibility of Jose Mourinho taking charge at Napoli, De Laurentiis ruled out the idea.
Despite praising Mourinho as a great coach and a kind person, he mentioned that Mourinho’s future coaching destination is likely to be outside Italy.
Napoli, which is no longer in contention for the league title and has been eliminated from the Italian Cup, is currently managed by Walter Mazzarri until the end of the season.
De Laurentiis had dismissed French coach Rudi Garcia in mid-November after a four-month tenure.
