Femi Solajawith agency report
In spite of overture from top clubs in the English Premier League in the last few months, Super Eagles’ forward, Victor Osimhen, has put paid to all forms of speculations as he has insisted on staying put at Napoli next season.
Top clubs like Manchester United, Arsenal and Newcastle have shown interest in the Nigerian forward in the last four months and at a time, Arsenal were leading in the race following the prospect of the Gunners playing in the UEFA Champions League next season which was one of the conditions given by Osimhen.
But yesterday, the Napoli striker voiced his desire to stay for another season at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
The 23-year-old has led his side to Champions League qualification this season, sitting atop the Serie A side’s scoring charts with 13 goals from 25 games.
Indeed, United and Newcastle were both tipped to move for Osimhen this summer but the Nigeria international, who remains under contract until 2025, insisted yesterday he is enjoying life in Naples and is already planning a push for the Serie A title next season.
“It is a great honour for me to have achieved this goal (qualifying for the Champions League) with my team-mates,” Osimhen told Radio Kiss Kiss. “We are very happy to be able to measure ourselves in the biggest European club competition.
“We are more disappointed than (the fans) not having (won the title). We are, because we had the quality to win it. It was our dream to win it. Of course, our hope remains to win the title and for this, we will give everything next season to try again.”
Osimhen then went on to voice his desire to continue playing alongside his team-mates, including ‘mentor’ Dries Mertens, before stressing that he hopes to keep developing under manager Luciano Spalletti.
“I have to thank Spalletti so much,” he said. “He helped me a lot in my growth as a footballer from many points of view, and I have to thank him and his staff for helping me score all these goals. They helped me improve my movement.
“He always talks to me after training and trains me both with and without the ball. I know I’m dealing with a very high-level coach, really. It is a great honour and a real pleasure to be trained by him, and I hope to be able to work with him for many more years,” observed Osimhen in the interview with the radio station.
But while the player’s representative has concluded that his ward will remain in Naples next season, the club too is not taking things for granted when it told representatives of Manchester United that payment of £85.5m will guarantee the Old Trafford side the service of the player next season.
The Red Devils are expected to strengthen their attacking options in the upcoming transfer window.
Edinson Cavani is set to depart when his contract expires on June 30, while Cristiano Ronaldo’s future remains uncertain.
United’s top scorer has another year left to run on his deal at Old Trafford, but he could seek pastures new after the Red Devils failure to qualify for the Champions League.
Even if Ronaldo stays, United will have to begin planning for life after the 37-year-old soon.
Osimhen still has three years left to run on the deal he signed when he joined Napoli in 2020.
