Former Chelsea and Juventus manager, Antonio Conte, is on the verge of becoming Napoli’s new coach after spending a year on the sidelines, Soccernet.ng reports.
A serial winner, Conte has won league titles with Chelsea, Juventus and Inter Milan, and is noted for his avid three-defender formation that keeps his team’s defence solid.
Osimhen and Napoli had a drop-off in form this season, mounting a horrific title defence as they ended the season in 10th position on the league table.
The Nigerian striker scored 26 league goals in the 2022/2023 season under Luciano Spalleti, but due to injuries, he was able to record 15 goals this term, under three coaches. Rudi Garcia, Walter Mazzarri and Francesco Calzona all graced the dugout at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, but none found consistency.
As per La Gazzetta dello Sport, Napoli and Conte have reached an agreement to make the 54-year-old their coach. The Italian will sign a three-year contract and earn an annual salary of 8 million euros per season, alongside some bonuses related to the goals achieved by the team.
With his announcement imminent, Conte’s priority is a new striker, with Victor Osimhen’s exit on the horizon. Romelu Lukaku is singled out as a potential signing and could be a perfect fit for Napoli, as he knows the league well, and was a Champion under Conte with Inter Milan. Lukaku has scored 70 goals and provided 21 assists in 129 Serie A games.
Chelsea would be willing to accept an exchange that would see Osimhen go to the Blues. The former Lille man has been longing to play in the English Premier League, while Lukaku would head to Naples.
With Osimhen’s release clause set at around €130m, an exchange deal with Chelsea and Lukaku will leave Napoli with a net positive between 80 and 90 million.
Osimhen’s injury has ruled him out of Nigeria’s upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifiers against South Africa and Benin Republic.