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With the Nigeria international entering the world-class stratum, clubs all over Europe will be interested in securing his signature this summer. If Napoli wish to keep him, they will have to show proof of concept in the Champions League
Perhaps it is a natural consequence of the Premier League’s outsized financial dominance over the rest of Europe, but there is something rather bizarre about the manner in which Victor Osimhen’s future is often spoken about.
As it stands, Napoli are an eye-watering 15 points clear at the top of Serie A after 23 matches, on course for the title barring either (or both) an act of God or the most improbable of collapses. At the forefront of that charge is the irresistible goalscoring form of Osimhen, at 24 a masked, towering bogeyman who lives on the blindside and specialises in haunting defenders’ dreams.
His bolt from the blue against favourite opponent Sassuolo took him to 100 career goals, a feat achieved at a faster rate than some of modern football’s great attackers. In this age of hyperbole, even with all of Europe sitting up and taking notice, it somehow feels like there is still something left on the table when it comes to appreciating Osimhen’s body of work.
As if to make this point, all of the discussion around Osimhen has largely revolved around where he should go next. (I will admit to weighing in myself, so this is to vilify no one in particular.) Outside of Napoli, where the club faithful wait with bated breath for a third Scudetto, the Nigeria international is little more than a commodity to be desired, haggled over and incorporated into fantasy lineups.
The implication, and unstated belief, is that Napoli are, necessarily, a stepping stone on the path to world domination, a finishing house rather than a destination in themselves. Again, it is easy to see why, especially with the financial muscle the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United can boast of; again, it is a strange way to think about a club that has, over the last decade, consistently featured in Europe and mixed it up at the top of the Serie A standings, often staring down Juventus’ hegemonic dominance in the 2010s.
Perhaps we are looking at this the wrong way, though. The picture changes if one thinks about this season not as a flash in the pan, but rather as the start of something new.
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Napoli went through a surprising amount of churn in the summer, losing leaders, goals and guile with the departures of Kalidou Koulibaly, Dries Mertens and Lorenzo Insigne, among others. While the Azzurri bought well, stability was the only realistic goal; last summer, after the club’s business was roundly panned by fans, manager Luciano Spalletti spoke only of the need to preserve the club’s place in the top four. This title charge, exhilarating as it is, has arrived well ahead of even the most optimistic of schedules, with all the stars aligning in service of a great fairytale.
It has helped clarify the benefit of refreshing the squad and cutting the wage bill, and suddenly there is the beginnings of an all-conquering force.
It has definitely led to bullish talk from the club hierarchy, with president Aurelio De Laurentiis now speaking of the Champions League in terms of possibility. He can afford to, when he has Osimhen and Kvicha Kvaratskhelia ripping defences apart, and certainly Eintracht Frankfurt in the Round of 16 is not the most onerous proposition at this stage of the competition. Cup competitions famously owe a lot to momentum, as well as the luck of the draw.
Whatever about winning it, though; making a deep run in the competition is just as important for strategic reasons. Napoli did exceptionally to replace outgoings last summer, and tanked the loss of Osimhen to injury earlier in the campaign. However, the Nigerian is their single greatest comparative advantage, if for nothing else because the pool of elite strikers is a shallow one. In order to keep him happy with Premier League clubs circling, Napoli must demonstrate dynastic potential.
That means not just winning the Scudetto this term, but maintaining a dominant position in Serie A. That means not just qualifying for the Champions League season-on-season, but becoming a competitive player in it every year.
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As such, Eintracht Frankfurt tonight takes on greater significance: it is a chance for Napoli to make their case in the strongest possible terms. De Laurentiis has spoken of the club’s healthy financial situation and drives as hard a bargain as anyone, but even he would be powerless to restrain a striker with Osimhen’s options unless Napoli show the striker he can fulfil all of his ambition in the south of Italy.
The 24-year-old is not, on the surface of it, the type to throw a strop. Time and again, he has declared himself happy in Italy, and has endeared himself to the Napoli faithful with his full-bloodedness and humour. However, he is neither a local nor beholden by loyalty necessarily, and in truly great players there is always an innate yearning to explore the limits of their own capacity. If the Premier League comes calling, the pull may simply be too great.
It need not be so, of course. Rather than join storied clubs with bottomless wells of revenue, Osimhen can build his own kingdom in Naples as he takes this quantum leap into the world-class stratum. Il Partenopei must, however, be willing and able to meet him in the air.
- The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Pulse Sports
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