Victor Osimhen has broken his silence on the TikTok video controversy at Napoli by stating his ongoing commitment to the Serie A title holders.

The Nigeria international striker, who helped to deliver a historic Scudetto success in Naples last season, has seen an imminent transfer speculated on after appearing to be teased on the official social media channels of the club that he represents.

Napoli posted a TikTok video of Osimhen missing a spot-kick with a high-pitched voice played over the top saying: “Gimme penalty please.” Legal action was threatened at that stage by the Nigerian’s agent, while he deleted all mention of the Partenopei from his Instagram account. The government back in his homeland also addressed the issue, saying that they are “committed to ensuring that our athletes are afforded the respect they deserve and that they are not exposed to injustice, discrimination and unfair teasing”.

Osimhen has now delivered a statement of his own, saying on Instagram: “Coming to the City of Naples in 2020 was a wonderful decision for me. The People of Napoli have shown me so much love and kindness, and I will not allow anyone to come between us. The passion of the People of Naples fuels my fire to always play with my heart and soul, and the love for the badge is unwavering as I wear it with pride. The accusations against People of Naples are untrue. I have a lot of friends that are Napolitans and have become part of my family and everyday life. I appreciate Nigerians and everyone for leading their voices to support and reach out to me. I’m forever grateful. Let’s support unity, respect and understanding. FORZA NAPOLI SEMPRE.”

Osimhen has figured for Napoli since the social media post saga started, with the 24-year-old frontman netting in back-to-back games against Udinese and Lecce.

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