Aurelio De Laurentiis emphasises that Victor Osimhen’s contract status is “not up for discussion”, following the recent TikTok video controversy involving Napoli.
Napoli successfully retained their key forwards, Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, during the summer transfer window after clinching the coveted Scudetto title.
Nonetheless, speculation connecting the Nigerian striker with a transfer to the Premier League gained traction last week after he became embroiled in a social media controversy.
Napoli’s TikTok account appeared to mock Osimhen when it published a video of him missing a penalty, accompanied by a high-pitched voice-over saying, “Gimme penalty, please.”
The player’s agent threatened legal action, while Osimhen deleted all mention of the club from his Instagram page. The 24-year-old started Napoli’s 4-0 win against Lecce on the bench but released a statement saying he will “not allow anyone to come between” himself and Napoli and that his love for the club is “unwavering.”
After Napoli suffered a 3-2 defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday, the club’s president dismissed fears that the TikTok incident has jeopardised efforts to get his star striker to sign a new contract.
“Victor is a player who makes a team on his own; it’s not up for discussion,” De Laurentiis said to El Chiringuito. “There is no problem with the renewal; everyone in Napoli is happy.”
Osimhen, the top scorer in Serie A last season, was acquired by Napoli from Lille in 2020. Since then, clubs like Chelsea, Manchester United, and Bayern Munich have been connected with Osimhen.