Roberto Sosa, a former Napoli striker, has urged his former club to keep Victor Osimhen for at least one more season.
The striker believes that Osimhen is a big key to their Scudetto hopes and that the club could get more money for the Nigerian striker in subsequent transfer windows.
The 23-year-old joined Napoli from French club LOSC Lille in 2020 for €70 million to become the most expensive African player ever, beating out the €60 million Manchester City paid to Leicester City for Algerian national team captain Riyad Mahrez.
Osimhen wanted by Europe's best
Osimhen has attracted more interest in his two seasons at Napoli where he has proven to be a menace to defenders and has shown incredible ability to link up with any attacker he is paired with, regardless of their playing style.
Arsenal and Liverpool have been linked with the striker. In the Serie A, AC Milan have been linked with the striker. He was also rumoured to be on Barcelona’s wish list. The Partenopei’s valuation of Osimhen is reported to be between €60 million and €100 million and it is understood that they are willing to listen to offers in that range if they arrive.
But Sosa, who currently manages Vultur Rionero in the Italian Serie D and played for Napoli as a striker between 2004 and 2008 before his retirement, believes that Osimhen is yet to reach his full potential at Napoli and that the club will make more than their current asking price for the striker in the future.
“Osimhen is very strong,” Sosa told a Naples-based media outlet. “If I could reject any offer, I would do it. In a very short time, Osimhen’s value will double. Whoever buys this boy for €60 million makes a great deal. He is a young man with great room for improvement.”
Osimhen asked to be excused from Super Eagles squad list
Meanwhile, it has been understood that Osimhen’s omission from the recently released shortlist for the upcoming friendlies against Mexico and Ecuador as well as the 2023 African Cup of Nations qualifiers was a personal decision of the striker’s.
On Tuesday, the caretaker manager of the Super Eagles, Salisu Yusuf, released a 30-man shortlist for the upcoming international break. The list featured eight inputs from the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) as well as a few returnees including man-on-form Cyriel Dessers.
However, Osimhen, who is arguably the best player in the national team set-up, was ignored from the list. Sources close to the NFF have now revealed that the striker asked to be excluded as he wanted to recover from a gruelling season before being thrust back into action.
Osimhen suffered a serious injury that kept him out for three months during the season, causing him to miss the 2021 AFCON in Cameroon last January. He still wears a protective mask to play and with the international break coming up immediately after the season ends, the striker would be required to play immediately.
It is understood that he is seeking a period of recovery before going back into football.
This article was most recently revised and updated 11 months ago
