Suitors must break bank to land Osimhen, says Napoli chief

Eagles striker’s current form good omen for Eagles, says Adepoju

Suitors willing to sign Super Eagles striker, Victor Osimhen, must be ready to break the bank to recruit the Napoli star. Chelsea, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain have been linked with the U-17 World Cup winner.

Osimhen has scored 17 goals in 21 appearances this season, including 16 in 17 Serie A fixtures. His starring displays for Luciano Spalletti’s side this season have been pivotal in Gli Azzurri’s efforts to win their first league title since 1990.

Stamford Bridge has been named a possible destination for the forward amid Graham Potter’s search for a new number nine. It’s been widely reported that a striker and goalkeeper will be the priority for the summer, despite Todd Boehly spending £500 million in the previous two transfer windows.

However, Chelsea will be forced to rival Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain for the target man, with previous reports insisting a fee in the region of £100 million will have to be paid for his services.

As shown in the January window, Boehly is not fearful of spending big on quality with a club-record fee of £105 million spent on Enzo Fernandez.

But Napoli remain coy on the striker’s future and president Aurelio de Laurentiis has revealed the club’s stance on a move. Speaking to German newspaper Bild, De Laurentiis admitted that Napoli have no reason to sell Osimhen. “I can tell you that Osimhen is not for sale,” he declared.

“Our players are in demand, but I don’t have to sell anyone. We don’t have any debts.”

Meanwhile, former international, Mutiu Adepoju, has described Osimhen’s current form as a good omen for Nigeria ahead of the qualifiers for the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) billed for Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.

Osimhen, who is in his third season with Napoli in Italy, is currently leading the scoring charts in Serie A and attracting the attention of Europe’s big clubs.

Speaking to The Guardian on Monday, Adepoju said that if Osimhen continues in his good form for his club, Nigeria will benefit from it in the AFCON qualifiers, which begin in June.

“It is a good thing that Osimhen is scoring and doing very well in his club. I believe if he continues like this, it is going to be a good thing for the senior male national team, especially as the qualifiers for the AFCON begin soon.

“There is no advice I can give him as regards what he needs to do, except that everything lies in his hand,” Adepoju said, adding that Osimhen can fit into any team among the top clubs demanding for his signature.”

“I also think he needs luck of having good teammates, management and the manager that will be able to play him to his strength,” he said.

The former Super Eagles midfielder also spoke on the standard of the current Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) and the prospect of the players playing for the national team. He said: “I have only watched the league once involving the Shooting Stars of Ibadan and Remo Stars.

“And like I have always said, we have talents in the league that can play for the country if given the opportunity. It is now left for the home-based players to convince the coach that they can also play for the national team if called to do so. And if the players play well, definitely the coach would want to invite them again for other matches,” he stated.