ALVISE CAGNAZZO: Victor Osimhen has fallen out with manager Rudi Garcia and been mocked by his own club… his relationship with Napoli looks beyond repair, and offers from the Middle East and Europe are now likely to flood in

• Victor Osimhen fell out with Rudi Garcia after being substituted on the weekend
• He was mocked by his own club in a TikTok video posted on Tuesday
• Mail Sport’s new WhatsApp Channel: Get the breaking news and exclusives here

Victor Osimhen’s relationship with Napoli has completely broken down and his career in Italy appears to be coming to an end.

Napoli may try to talk their star forward around over the coming hours, but their chances of winning him over look slim.

The TikTok video mocking Osimhen and comparing him to a ‘coconut’ after his missed penalty in Sunday’s 0-0 draw at Bologna has been labelled ‘unacceptable’ by his agent, with legal action being considered, and has created a major rift between the player and the club.

There is a lot of anger at the moment, and the timing could not be much worse as Napoli face a crucial game against Udinese tonight, with the pressure ramping up on manager Rudi Garcia after a stuttering start to the season.

Just four months after leading Napoli to their first league title in 33 years, Osimhen has lost faith in the club he has remained fiercely loyal to.

A clip, reportedly deleted from Napoli’s TikTok, allegedly compared Osimhen to a ‘coconut’

Victor Osimhen is furious with a TikTok video being posted by his own club mocking him after he missed a penalty on the weekend

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He has turned down the huge financial packages on offer in Saudi Arabia, and rejected the advances of some of Europe’s top clubs including Bayern Munich and Newcastle.

Now, he feels abandoned and betrayed after being mistreated by his manager and mocked by his own club on social media. 

Osimhen thought he was loved in Naples, but recent events have made him question this, and whether he is still considered the team’s leading player or just a useful one that is no longer indispensable. 

Garcia under pressure already

The problem with Garcia is very serious. 

The French coach wanted to make his mark after replacing Luciano Spalletti in the summer, but his forced substitutions and questionable tactical decisions have only created negativity in the media and the dressing room.

Osimhen is a charismatic leader within the squad, but was furious at being taken off when Napoli were chasing a winner against Bologna on the weekend.

He felt it was a clear sign that his role has diminished under Garcia, and that he was being undermined in front of the whole team, while being replaced was also not good for his self-confidence after a difficult start to the campaign.

Garcia taking off his best player created a tension within the dressing room that wasn’t necessary. 

Garcia has only rewarded captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo since arriving, and is not getting best out of Osimhen with his tactical and technical decisions that are difficult to understand. 

Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is also not happy with the treatment he has received from Garcia, but the issue with Osimhen is more concerning as his relationship with Garcia is hanging by a thread and he has now been targeted in a TikTok video by his own club.

Napoli manager Rudi Garcia has fallen out with Osimhen since joining the club in the summer

Osimhen was furious with Garcia after being substituted on the weekend against Bologna

Contract concerns

Osimhen deleted the photos of winning the title with Napoli on Tuesday night in a clear sign of his fury with the club.

He now faces an uncertain future, with clubs from the Middle East and Europe likely to make approaches for him shortly.

It cannot be ruled out that Osimhen is sold in January, and he is now into the final two years of his contract, with his deal due to expire in June 2025.

With this in mind, he may leave at a far more reasonable price than the €120m (£104m) Napoli were demanding in the summer.

Osimhen removed nearly all photos of him in a Napoli shirt from his Instagram on Tuesday 

Clubs from the Middle East and Europe are now likely to move for him in January

According to Corriere dello Sport, Osimhen was at dinner when he learned of the TikTok video, and immediately demanded the post be removed.

The angry reaction to Napoli’s TikTok video and the tweet from his agent Roberto Calenda threatening legal action highlight how serious the situation is.

Napoli fans are understandably worried about what will happen next. With Osimhen deleting his Napoli photos, it is unclear how much longer he will stick around, although he has been named in the squad for tonight’s game.

Napoli achieved one of their greatest highs just four months ago. Now, they are a club in turmoil, largely by their own doing, and risk losing their best player.

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