Former Nigerian midfielder Christian Obodo has discussed reasons why forward Victor Osimhen should stay at Napoli ahead of the new campaign.
The 38-year-old explains why the wanted Super Eagle should fend off several offers from Europe and stay with the Partenopei
The 23-year-old Nigeria International, Victor Osimhen is currently a transfer subject of top European clubs after his impressive display for the Partenopei, which saw them finish the last Serie A campaign in third position with 79 points from 38 matches.
Premier League clubs Arsenal, Manchester United, and Newcastle United have been named as a possible destination for the former Lille forward but according to the 38-year-old Obodo, who played for a host of clubs in Italy, Osimhen can only grow for the better at Napoli.
“I’ve been aware of Osimhen’s potential even before he joined Napoli,” Obodo told 1 Station Radio as quoted by Punch. “I think Napoli is the ideal place for a player like Victor in addition to the adequacy of the coach.”
Obodo, who played for Fiorentina, Udinese, Torino, and Lecce, also believes staying under coach Luciano Spalletti’s management will help the Super Eagle prosper.
“[Luciano] Spalletti’s work is relevant to his growth and that has allowed him to grow a lot both at Napoli and with the national team,” Obodo continued adding: “I have no doubt about the impact that the former Lille striker would have on Napoli.”
Last season, despite suffering a facial injury that kept him out of action for two weeks, Osimhen managed 27 appearances overall in the top-flight and accumulated 1,992 minutes of playing time. He was selected in the starting XI in 23 of these appearances across their 38 fixtures and entered as a substitute on four occasions.
He was ranked joint eighth in the Serie A goalscoring charts with a total of 14 goals, as well as being the team's top league scorer and chipping in with two assists. He also netted four goals in the Europa League campaign.
A week ago, he was the star player for Nigeria as they kicked off their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign with wins – 2-1 against Sierra Leone and 10-0 against Sao Tome and Principe.
Osimhen scored in their opener against Leone Stars and notched four goals in the thrashing of Sao Tome.