Folorunsho signs new Napoli but Osimhen’s future remains uncertain as Lukaku waits
Napoli has officially extended the contract of Italy international and recent Hellas Verona loanee Michael Folorunsho.
The 26-year-old has put pen to paper on a new and improved five-year deal, which will run until the summer of 2029.
Napoli confirmed the new contract with a traditional photograph alongside club President Aurelio De Laurentiis.
Folorunsho originally joined from Serie C outfit Virtus Francavilla in the summer of 2019 and is still yet to make his Serie A debut for the Partenopei.
The attacking-minded midfielder has been out on six different loan spells since he arrived in Naples, twice to Bari, twice to Reggina, and once each to Pordenone and Verona.
The 2023-24 campaign was Folorunsho’s first in the Italian top flight, scoring five goals and providing one assist from 34 outings.
The pinnacle of Folorunsho’s career to date came this summer when he was selected by national team head coach Luciano Spalletti for the final 26-man Azzurri squad for EURO 2024. He made his debut in a warm-up fixture against Bosnia and Herzegovina, before getting his first appearance at a major tournament in Italy’s 2-1 win over Albania.
And Victor Osimhen was left out of Napoli's squad for their pre-season friendly against Egnatia as talks over a Paris Saint-Germain transfer stall.
Osimhen is one of the highest-rated strikers in the world but he is proving difficult to sell as the Napoli star has a £110 million ($142m) release clause. PSG looks the most likely to sign the 25-year-old forward but talks are currently at a standstill. However, new manager Antonio Conte did not pick the Nigerian international for the pre-season friendly, throwing fresh doubt on his future.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Osimhen - whose contract runs until the summer of 2026 - wants to leave Napoli and the Italian team wants to recruit Chelsea outcast Romelu Lukaku, who previously played under former Inter boss Conte. However, with no progress made, Osimhen could be playing at Napoli next season and Lukaku may be desperately searching for a new team, other than the Serie A outfit.
Napoli's next pre-season game is against Brest on Wednesday and then Girona on Saturday. It remains to be seen if Osimhen will be included in the squad for those matches and if he will still be at the club for the new season on August 18.
Meanwhile, Lukaku is eagerly anticipating the opportunity to reunite with Conte, the manager who has brought out the best in him previously. According to TMW, the Belgian striker is already working with Conte’s training programs and instructions, preparing himself for the potential move to Napoli.
With the new season just two weeks away, Conte is keen to have his preferred striker in place. While he would have been happy to keep Osimhen, Lukaku represents the ideal successor in Conte’s eyes. The Napoli management still needs to reach an agreement with Chelsea, but this is not expected to be a significant hurdle.
