Napoli make U-turn, withdraw Osimhen’s jersey number from Lukaku

Napoli have reversed their decision to give Victor Osimhen’s jersey number to Romelu Lukaku for the 2024/25 Serie A season.

On Saturday, the club excluded Osimhen from the squad list for the ongoing league campaign.

In the Napoli squad list submitted to the league website, Osimhen’s jersey number nine was also handed to Romelu Lukaku, who recently joined the club from Chelsea.

However, A few hours later, the club revealed that the initial decision had been reversed, with Lukaku handed jersey number 11 instead of the earlier published figure.

The turnaround means Osimhen will retain his number 9 jersey, but the Super Eagles striker remains unregistered for the 2024/25 Serie A season.

Napoli’s decision to ostracise the Super Eagles striker follows a failed move away from the club during the just-concluded transfer window.

Osimhen’s relationship with the club’s leadership broke down irreparably in recent months when he handed in a transfer request.

However, the striker’s protracted negotiation with Chelsea and Al-Ahli of Saudi Arabia failed at the final stage.

Osimhen is still contracted to Napoli until the summer of 2026 and is on a deal worth €10m per year in wages.

The striker has been missing from the team’s matchday squad list this season.

The club’s next league match will be against Parma at the Stadio Diego Maradona on Saturday.