Noah Okafor Opens Up on Why He Accepted Victor Osimhen’s Number 9 at Napoli
- Victor Osimhen is set to depart Napoli this summer when his loan deal at Turkish club Galatasaray ends
- Napoli’s latest move of giving away his number to new signing Noah Okafor further confirms his exit
- Okafor, who is of Nigerian descent has disclosed why he chose the jersey number last worn by Osimhen
Napoli's new signing Noah Okafor has opened up on why he chose jersey number nine after joining the club from AC Milan, despite Victor Osimhen technically owning it.
Osimhen left Napoli on acrimonious terms last summer after spending all summer trying to secure a move but was unable to due to Napoli botching two of his proposed moves.
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His supposed replacement Romelu Lukaku arrived at Naples even before he secured a season-long loan move to Turkish champions Galatasaray after he was frozen out of the team.
Like Osimhen, his former partner Khvicha Kvaratskhelia attempted to leave the club last summer but was unsuccessful. He was eventually sold to Paris Saint-Germain this winter, the club that tried to sign the Nigerian as well.
Napoli brought in Swiss striker of Nigerian descent Noah Okafor as the Georgian’s replacement from AC Milan, much to the dismay of the fans who wanted the club to invest the money in a better way.
Okafor explains choosing Osimhen’s jersey
Okafor joined the Neapolitans on loan with an option to make it permanent in a total package worth €25 million. He earlier had a failed move to RB Leipzig in January.
The versatile forward sparked controversy after picking up the number 9 jersey which technically belongs to Victor Osimhen, a move that signalled that the Galatasaray loan forward is out of club’s plans.
According to Il Mattino via Napoli magazine, Okafor chose the number 9 because he wanted to show right away that he didn't come to Naples just to be a tourist.
Osimhen gave a seal of approval to his compatriot picking his jersey number by liking his post on Instagram displaying his shirt.
The same publication confirmed that Antonio Conte told the striker that he is behind Romelu Lukaku and Giovanni Simeone in the striker role and behind David Neres on the wing.
The club had no problem giving out the number nine to make a statement to Osimhen that he was no longer part of their plans. Football Italia reported that it took Lukaku to reject it in the summer, even before the Super Eagles star left on loan.
Osimhen’s future will be resolved in the summer when his season-long loan move with the Turkish champions ends. Galatasaray and other top European clubs have expressed interest.
Saudi Pro League clubs cannot be ruled out after Al-Ahli negotiated for the striker last summer but were put off by Napoli’s excessive demands even after initial agreement was reached.
Premier League giants Manchester United offered to trigger his release clause in January, but the Super Eagles star was not interested in leaving Turkey.
Why Osimhen missed Boluspor
Legit.ng reported that Galatasaray head coach Okan Buruk explained why Osimhen missed Boluspor clash in the Turkish Cup, which the team won 4-1 away.
The Turkish manager disclosed that there was nothing serious and that the striker was only being managed, with new signing Alvaro Morata handed his full debut.
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Source: Legit.ng
