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Victor Osimhen may have to bide his time at Napoli. A destination transfer may not happen this summer despite another year of change in Naples.
Year four in Naples and Victor Osimhen is set for another change and adaptation period.
The striker’s debut Serie A season was under Gennaro Gattuso’s management.
Then the former AC Milan midfielder was jettisoned after the 2020-21 season that ended in top-four disappointment on the final day — Napoli finished a point behind fourth-placed Juventus and Atalanta in third after a 1-1 gameweek 38 tie with Hellas Verona at home.
Victor Osimhen benefited from Spalletti's magic
In came Luciano Spalletti, and the Nigerian’s game was predicted to go to the next level. The Tuscan is labelled the “striker whisperer” due to the continued penchant for getting the best out of forwards with different profiles.
This was evident with Francesco Totti and Edin Dzeko in different Roma iterations, while Mauro Icardi was a beneficiary of Spalletti’s coaching at Inter Milan in 2017-18.
All three became Capocannoniere with Spalletti’s guidance. And Osimhen was the fourth in 2022-23, becoming the first African to end top scorer in Italy’s top flight after finding the back of the net 26 times.
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13:09 - 06.06.2023
TUESDAY TRIVIA Victor Osimhen’s unprecedented Capocannoniere
The Napoli marksman became the first African to claim Serie A’s top scorer award as the Partenopei reigned supreme in Italy’s top division. We look at the numbers delineating the Nigerian's outstanding season.
Napoli’s summer of change
But an exasperating season which brought Napoli’s first Serie A title in 33 years and an ungentlemanly contract extension that could have been handled better put paid to a third year at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona for Spalletti.
Luis Enrique was linked, but Aurelio De Laurentiis always felt that was a long shot, as the former Barcelona head coach eyed a Premier League move. He ultimately moved to Paris Saint-Germain.
Also purportedly rumoured was a move for Fiorentina boss Vincenzo Italiano. However, that was quelled in early June after club chairman Rocco Commisso insisted that the Conference League finalist was to spend another year in Florence.
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Managers favouring a back three were ruled out by De Laurentiis, thus putting Antonio Conte out of the conversation immediately after the report surfaced.
“We are assessing several coaches using a 4-3-3 system with our extraordinary players whom we want to keep,” the Napoli supremo told Rai, as quoted by Gazzetta in May.
“I’ve evaluated about ten coaches who can use this system [4-3-3], and I’ll pick the best one to continue the winning cycle.”
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21:25 - 15.06.2023
Osimhen to team up with Ronaldo’s former coach as Napoli announce Rudi Garcia
Napoli have announced the coach to lead them into a future without Serie A champion Luciano Spalletti
Rudi Garcia was eventually appointed by the Partenopei in mid-June to replace the departed Spalletti, in a move that has underwhelmed the average observer.
It is the Frenchman’s second spell in Italy after managing Roma in the early-to-mid 2010s, twice guiding the capital club to a couple of second-placed finishes — albeit ending 17 points behind Juventus in 2013-14 and the following year.
The Old Lady have lost their Serie A stranglehold, giving the leading sides a shot at the Scudetto, further evidenced by Inter, Milan and Napoli’s league wins in the last three years.
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23:18 - 19.06.2023
New Napoli boss promises to improve Osimhen as his teammates
Napoli have unveiled their new manager Rudi Garcia, and he believes the team has room for improvement.
Apart from the change in the dugout, the Azzurri bade farewell to Sporting Director Cristiano Giuntoli after eight years at the Maradona.
The director is credited with building the club’s title-winning squad a year after many observers made them outsiders following the departures of Lorenzo Insigne, Kalidou Koulibaly and Dries Mertens.
Min-jae Kim and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia were unknown replacements who flourished in Naples, with Osimhen’s storming campaign also contributing to the 2022-23 success.
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16:10 - 16.01.2023
SUPER EAGLES Osimhen is on course to become the first African Capocannoniere
Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen could be the first-ever African to win the Serie A Golden Boot.
However, Koulibaly’s replacement — Kim — is nearing a move to Bayern Munich, while the Super Eagle remains in the market for the right price.
Why Victor Osimhen may stay at Napoli
Clubs around Europe would baulk at the supposed right price for Osimhen, understood to be above €150 million.
De Laurentiis drives a hard bargain, and the tough negotiator’s knack for holding onto players until demands are met is known.
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12:28 - 05.06.2023
Napoli president will decide my future - Osimhen breaks silence amid Man United, Chelsea links
Victor Osimhen has left his future in the hands of Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis. The Super Eagles striker has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League.
As it is, that figure is unlikely to be met for varying reasons. A dream Premier League move may have to be put on hold despite Chelsea and Manchester United’s need for a centre-forward.
Mauricio Pochettino’s men are yet to sort out the futures of Romelu Lukaku and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and may dread another big-money transfer after Lukaku.
The Red Devils are linked with Osimhen, but a reduced transfer kitty for Erik ten Hag means swooping for the Nigerian is far-fetched.
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07:37 - 04.07.2023
Mason Mount edges closer to Man United move after successful medical
Erik ten Hag's priority target Mason Mount is close to completing his move from Chelsea to Manchester United after undergoing a medical at the club's Carrington training ground.
With Mason Mount almost signed, the Dutchman has even less money to spend unless the club receives a windfall for one of its few saleable assets.
Manchester City are not letting go of Erling Haaland, Liverpool are unlikely to commit that much to a centre-forward and title contenders Arsenal are not expected to shell out that much for Osimhen after their soon-to-be confirmed deal for Declan Rice.
Other European clubs are seemingly implausible. Real Madrid have a Kylian Mbappe ambition, even if the France international loathes playing in a central striking role, Barcelona are not spending €150 million due to their well-known financial issues, and Bayern Munich seems to have prioritised Harry Kane, who has a year left on his Tottenham Hotspur contract.
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15:30 - 27.06.2023
FOOTBALL Bayern Munich make shock Harry Kane bid with £60m offer for England captain
The German champions are desperate for a striker and have earmarked the Tottenham man as a key target although their offer falls below Spurs’ valuation.
The Englishman entering the final 12 months of his deal should give him leverage, but the Lilywhites’ £100 million valuation has put clubs off the superstar, who turns 30 this month.
Theoretically, Osimhen could reject new terms and enter the final 12 months of a five-year deal signed in 2020, putting De Laurentiis in a position where he risks losing the Nigerian for free in 2025 if no club meets the supremo’s asking price this year and avoid a reduced demand in 2024.
The Napoli chairman mentioned a two-year extension to the centre-forward's deal last month but there has been no official confirmation since.
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19:09 - 19.06.2023
Osimhen set to remain at Napoli after agreeing new two-year deal
Despite interest from top European clubs, Osimhen is set to remain at Napoli after Aurelio de Laurentiis confirmed they have agreed on a contract renewal.
Further weakening the 24-year-old’s chances of a move this summer is his injury history. However, this requires the necessary context.
Putting himself in harm’s way by challenging for impossible loose balls has contributed to both major layoffs at Napoli, seeing him miss 14 games with a shoulder injury in year one in Naples and a cheekbone fracture that led to a 12-game absence in year two.
Despite missing 10 matches last season, the Nigerian’s game time has progressively improved since his debut campaign in Serie A.
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According to Transfermarkt, 1864 minutes played in all competitions ranked 17th in the Napoli squad in 20-21, 2310 the following season saw Osimhen move to 10th in the side and 3021 minutes last season placed eighth in the team. This indicates an improvement and demonstrates how the Nigerian’s full-blooded nature makes him his worst enemy.
Other things being equal, Mbappe and Kane could stay at PSG and Spurs for another year before moving in the summer of 2024.
That could precipitate a domino effect involving Osimhen. For the time being, the adored Napoli superstar’s price tag could prise him out of the market in the current window.
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