Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis is confident Victor Osimhen will sign a new contract at the club, saying the Nigerian striker’s contract situation is “not up for discussion’ after the TikTok video controversy surrounding Napoli.
Napoli managed to keep hold of star attackers Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia over the summer after winning a long-awaited Scudetto.
However, rumours linking the Nigerian striker with a move to the Premier League gathered momentum last week after he found himself the subject of 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.”
Napoli signed Osimhen from Lille in 2020, and last season’s Serie A top scorer has since been linked with the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United and Bayern Munich.
.The 24-year-old has two years remaining on his contract.
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