Victor Osimhen is destined to leave Napoli, but Wayne Girard argues that the Nigerian forward would benefit from playing one more season at the Stadio Maradona under Antonio Conte.
Victor Osimhen must have wondered if he had overstayed his welcome in Napoli. By the middle of November, Rudi Garcia had been sacked after failing to get his side to resemble anything remotely similar to the side that had won the Scudetto less than half a year prior.
The Frenchman had even benched the striker when facing Lecce, and from thereon, his relationship with Osimhen never improved. The Partenopei would never truly level out, as even Walter Mazzari was fired in the winter. It was the worst title defence in Serie A history.
Osimhen even found himself mocked by the club’s social media account, causing a rift between him and the organisation. It culminated in a truly sad and disappointing atmosphere at the club, at least for a few days, and the striker’s future in the South was highly doubtful. But performance-wise, Osimhen kept ticking and was the only constant throughout the chaos, grabbing a goal that was just a little less than every other match. Aurelio De Laurentiis was surely keeping a close eye on the €130m buyout clause he set for the Nigerian international.
Now, two roads remain for the striker who is prised in Napoli but revered throughout the world. At 25, his next contract should be the most prolific of his career. With Sky Italia reporting that the player’s agent is in Paris this week, a move to France looks on the cards. Paris Saint-Germain have, of course, lost major firepower with Kylian Mbappe’s transfer to Real Madrid and Neymar’s move abroad the previous summer.
If PSG do, in fact, negotiate the release clause and secure his services, they will have gained a player with the x-factor, one who can change a match on a dime with an outrageous moment. He’s proven that’s when he’s most dangerous, when the match falls into a lull, only for Osimhen to make a sudden break, beat the centre-back, and make something out of nothing.
He carries over a 46% accuracy shot rate, with goals completely spread in areas throughout the net (although he’s proven to be particularly deadly when shooting low, bringing him into the 96th percentile among forwards). If you’re a fan of Napoli – and just as well if you’re not – you know Osimhen is deadly from anywhere within the box, with his head or right foot. Since 2020, he’s registered 76 goals for the Partenopei in 133 matches, for a conversion rate of just over 57%. Numbers like these will propel him to the rooftops of Paris, and he should have no issue in adjusting, given his time previously spent with Lille.
If Osimhen chooses to stay, which is still highly unlikely considering Conte’s recent claims, things will look very different compared to last season. Rather than the manager merry-go-round and drama that held the club down, there is a refreshed spirit under new boss Antonio Conte. The Italian is one of the most demanding in the game, but earns his results through disciplined play and a heavy focus on striker movement.
Just take a look at what he did with Italy’s Euro 2016 team, leading the Azzurri to a quarter-final penalty shootout against Germany. If he could take Éder and Graziano Pelle to that stage, Conte would help Osimhen make that leap from a great striker into the elite, world-class category.