With a new and highly-rated manager in charge of the team, most Napoli fans would have been expecting this season to be one of glory and silverware for their side. However, the Gli Azzurri had an abysmal start to their 2024-25 season as fell to a 3-0 defeat to Verona in the opening game of their Serie A campaign.
After a goalless first half, the hosts on the night struck three times before the full-time whistle to make Conte’s debut with Napoli a forgettable night. This loss further builds on the lacklustre performances against Genoa in a friendly, which ended in a 2-0 defeat, and against Modena in the Italian Cup, which the Partenopei won only on penalties.
There is a visible problem with the team’s attack, as Napoli have not scored any goal in their last three matches, and have conceded five. Raspadori, Simeone, and Cheddira have been the team’s strikers, while Kvaratskhelia, Politani, and Ngonge have supported them in the attack.
In such a situation, one cannot help but feel the absence of Victor Osimhen in the forward line. He has been criticised a lot in recent times, but the team’s offensive problems in the last few matches would make the fans welcome his return.
The 25-year-old is on the market, and Napoli are looking to make as much money as they can from their star forward. However, for now, he still remains a Napoli player and this situation also naturally leads to the question of why the Nigerian is actually not playing.
As Calcio Mercato has reported, Conte himself had no answer to this question, as this was one of the queries put to him after the match against Verona. Responding to this question, the Italian manager said:
“That’s a question for the club, not for me. Since the training camp, Osimhen has been training separately, and I’ve taken on the role of a spectator.”
Whatever the issues between Osimhen and the club, this situation is only hurting the team going forward. He looked likely to leave Napoli this summer, but PSG have not made a forceful advance for him, while Chelsea are also procrastinating and do not look like having the intention to pay around €100 million for him.
