Napoli Suffer's Fresh Blow as Striker of Nigerian Descent Rejects Transfer Move

• Antonio Conte and his Napoli side are in the market for a replacement for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
• The Italian Serie A outfit has made a move to sign Karim Adeyemi from Bundesliga outfit, Borussia Dortmund
• A report has recently surfaced claiming that the attacker of Nigerian descent has rejected a transfer to the Neapolitan outfit

Napoli has seen their bid to find a suitable replacement for the departed Khvicha Kvaratskhelia hit a snag following the latest decision by forward Karim Adeyemi.

The Italian Serie A outfit was dealt a blow earlier in the winter transfer market when Kvaratskhelia opted to accept a transfer move to the French Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain.

In the wake of the Georgian winger's exit, Napoli's hierarchy has been scouring the market for high-profile replacements to fill the void.

Among the notable names linked with the club, Adeyemi emerged as a standout target, with reports suggesting Napoli tabled a bid of around €45 million for the 23-year-old.

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However, fresh reports indicate that Adeyemi, who has Nigerian roots, has declined the opportunity to join the Serie A outfit, dealing another blow to Napoli's transfer ambitions.

Adeyemi rejects transfer to Napoli

According to reports courtesy of journalist, Pietro Nicolodi, Borussia Dortmund reportedly accepted Napoli's bid for the forward. However, the player himself turned down the opportunity to join the Serie A leaders.

"It seems strange to me that the player decided to stay," Nicolodi commented.

"(Antonio) Conte could really turn his career around. Adeyemi is a player who is somewhat injury-prone and inconsistent, but when he's in good shape, he’s a star.

He plays incredible games, and with the ball at his feet, he can do whatever he wants. Selling Adeyemi now seems like complete madness to me. Dortmund cannot afford to let him go."

An exit might have seemed like the best option for Adeyemi, given that he has fallen down the pecking order at Borussia Dortmund.

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The pacy winger has managed only 12 appearances this season under coach, Nuri Şahin, according to data from FotMob. Notably, many of these appearances have come as a substitute.

Adeyemi's decision to reject Napoli’s offer is, therefore, somewhat surprising. However, it could subtly be linked to Napoli's controversial handling of Victor Osimhen—another player of Nigerian descent.

Alternatively, Adeyemi might simply be holding out for a potential move to Juventus, who are also reportedly interested in securing his services.

Former Real Madrid star tells Napoli to sign Lookman

Legit.ng in another report detailed that former Real Madrid forward, Antonio Cassano, has urged Napoli to sign Ademola Lookman as a replacement for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

The 42-year-old, in a recent interview, suggested that the Neapolitan club should go all out to sign the Nigerian, particularly considering his current contract at Atalanta is entering its final years.

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Lookman has been linked with transfers to several clubs outside Serie A, including Arsenal, Manchester United, and Liverpool in the English Premier League.

What becomes of Lookman’s future remains to be seen.

Source: Legit.ng