The Cameroon defender requested his omission from the team’s opening league match against Sassuolo on Sunday. Torino president Urbano Cairo is furious about Nicolas N’Koulou’s situation at the club and has demanded the defender apologise to his teammates.

N’Koulou, who has been heavily linked with a move to league rivals Roma this summer, missed the Bull’s 2-1 win over Sassuolo on Sunday. The 29-year-old was reported to have requested his omission from Walter Mazarri’s team as he hopes to clear his future before the September 2 transfer deadline.

Even though Roma’s interest in N’Koulou continues to grow, Cairo said the Cameroon international – who has two years left on his contract – will not leave Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino this summer.

The former Monaco and Marseille centre-back moved to Italy in 2017 from Lyon and has established himself in the heart of Torino’s defence but his recent performances have been questioned.

“N’Koulou? He has a performance like the one against Wolverhampton, which wasn’t exceptional – you saw him on the third goal, and then he tells the manager he’s not mentally prepared after being called up,” Cairo told Tuttomercatoweb, per Roma Press.

“He should’ve told us a day sooner so we could play someone else.

“I said at the beginning of the transfer window that I will keep everyone, so he will also remain. Maybe he has other ideas, but he has a contract for another two years.

“N’Koulou must apologise to the club and to his teammates. Will he stay? For me, yes, I want to keep everyone.

“And as I said, he has a contract for another two years. I even met with his agent at Forte dei Marmi: we were talking all afternoon and even talked about adding a buyout clause.

“Is this a low blow from Petrachi? No, I don’t know this, but Roma aren’t even able to contact our players: there is a written agreement, if they do, they have to pay a penalty of €900,000.”

Source: Goal.com