In a surprising turn of events, Napoli has officially excluded Victor Osimhen from their Serie A squad for the 2024-25 season. The club has also reassigned his iconic no. 9 jersey to their latest signing, Romelu Lukaku.

This decision follows a hectic transfer deadline day where Osimhen was in talks to potentially move to either Chelsea in the Premier League or Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia. However, neither deal materialized, leaving Osimhen in a difficult position. Despite being left out of the squad, he remains contracted to Napoli until the summer of 2026 and is on a lucrative deal that pays him around €10 million annually.

Victor Osimhen’s exclusion isn’t the only notable change in the squad. Napoli also decided to remove defender Mario Rui from the squad list to make room for new signings. However, Nigerian-Italian midfielder Michael Folorunsho has managed to keep his spot in the team, ensuring he will be part of Napoli’s plans for the upcoming season.

The decision to drop Osimhen and hand his jersey number to Lukaku marks a significant shift in Napoli’s attacking options. Fans and analysts will be closely watching how this move affects the team’s performance as they prepare for their next league match. Napoli will be in action on Saturday evening, August 31, as they host Parma at the Stadio Maradona.

This bold move by the club shows their intent to shake things up as they aim for success in the new season, but it also raises questions about Osimhen’s future at Napoli. Will he find his way back into the squad, or will this be the beginning of the end of his time in Naples? Only time will tell.

As the season progresses, fans will be eager to see how Lukaku, wearing the coveted no. 9 shirt, adapts to his new surroundings and whether he can fill the void left by Osimhen’s absence.