Osimhen, his agent angry with Napoli, ADL tones down his comment but talks of exit remain strong

  The president of Napoli  Aurelio De Laurentiis has toned down his comment about Super Eagles and Napoli striker Victor Osimhen's change of mood after the striker and his agent expressed their displeasure at De Laurentiis's comment.

Elsewhere, rumours of Osimhen's exit from Napoli during the winter or summer remain strong with the player linked to EPL clubs like Liverpool, Chelsea, and Arsenal.

In fact, a report claimed he has agreed personal terms with Liverpool.

According to a report by Il Mattino (via TMW), Osimhen expressed displeasure after De Laurentiis spoke about the “disappointing” mood change of the player.

In the interview with Sport Mediaset, De Laurentiis opened up the possibility of selling the Nigerian this winter or next summer as he brought up the example of former Partenopei defender Kalidou Koulibaly, stating that he “sold Koulibaly a year before his contract expired.”

Osimhen’s contract runs until the summer of 2025 and it remains to be seen whether he will leave this winter. The striker was unhappy a few weeks back due to a substitution and his relationship with new manager Rudi Garcia hasn’t gone well.

The 24-year-old’s agent Roberto Calendo also didn’t take well the comments made by De Laurentiis and now he with his client are deciding on a future away from Napoli.

Napoli on Friday released an official statement denying that there are any tensions between Osimhen and De Laurentiis, following recent comments made by the Partenopei President that ‘the mood has changed’.

The club also rejects suggestions that De Laurentiis made negative comments about Osimhen, but have admitted that the Nigerian has ‘had second thoughts’ over his desire to continue with the club.

Recently, Osimhen had reportedly been left infuriated when a pair of insulting TikToks appeared on the club’s official social media channels, one mocking him for missing a penalty, the other comparing him to a coconut.

There are also reports that Napoli have become frustrated that their star striker has picked up another injury while away on international duty with Nigeria.

Then, on Thursday, De Laurentiis told reporters: “I have not been calm when it comes to Osimhen, but it takes two to tango.”

He continued: “We have a good rapport, the contract runs until 2025, so there is time.” However, he did issue the warning: “Don’t forget I sold Koulibaly at the last minute.”

In response to the almost immediate backlash the club received following De Laurentiis’ comments, Napoli posted the following statement to their official club website on Friday.

“ De Laurentiis did not say anything negative about Victor, only that after a long negotiation that ended with a handshake, confirming his desire to continue the relationship, Victor had second thoughts.

“De Laurentiis’ hope is that it is just a pause for reflection. Because Victor will remain out of action for rehabilitation, he and his agent Roberto Calenda along with De Laurentiis will meet in the coming weeks to talk about the future, in the utmost calmness.

“Reading that there is tension between Osimhen and Napoli is completely out of line.”

Meanwhile, Italian pundit Valter De Maggio is claiming Liverpool have agreed personal terms with Osimhen

This follows an earlier report this week that Liverpool sent scouts to watch Osimhen play for the Super Eagles during the just-concluded international break

Jurgen Klopp's men could lose star forward Mohamed Salah next summer and might be planning for the future without the Egyptian star with this latest report.

With Darwin Núñez, Diogo Jota, and Cody Gakpo still available to play the central forward position, it remains to be seen how Osimhen would fit into Liverpool if the deal were to happen.

The former Serie A Best Young Player could end his stay in Naples next summer as he is yet to agree on a new deal.

Two-time European champions Chelsea are also said to be monitoring the situation of the Super Eagles forward as they intend to bolster their attack with his signature ditto Arsenal.

One thing is certain,  we are yet to see the end of the speculation regarding the future of Osimhen.