Napoli’s record signing Victor Osimhen said coach Gennaro Gattuso and President Aurelio De Laurentiis have been ‘like fathers’ to him since his move from Lille. ‘I was convinced after talking to them’.
The Partenopei signed the Nigerian striker for over €70m from Lille this summer and presented the new star at a press conference today.
The 21-year-old revealed the relationship with the coach and the President persuaded him to move to the San Paolo.
Napoli’s record signing Victor Osimhen said coach Gennaro Gattuso and President Aurelio De Laurentiis have been ‘like fathers’ to him since his move from Lille. ‘I was convinced after talking to them’.
The Partenopei signed the Nigerian striker for over €70m from Lille this summer and presented the new star at a press conference today.
The 21-year-old revealed the relationship with the coach and the President persuaded him to move to the San Paolo.
“My relationship with Gattuso and De Laurentiis is excellent,” he said at a press conference. “They were like fathers, I received great demonstrations of affection from all the Napoli fans.
“I was convinced I would accept a move to Napoli when I talked to the coach and the President.
“They are giving me a lot of advice. It’s incredible to receive this affection, for a you player, motivation is fundamental.”
The youngster eventually signed a lucrative deal with the Azzurri and claimed he’s in Naples to ‘do great things’.
“I define myself as a player who loves the team play. Passion is fundamental for me, my mentality is based on the idea of never giving up. The game is always open.
“Being here is a big step for me, I have great teammates here. I don’t care about the money, what matters to me is doing great things as a footballer.
“Being here, is a dream come true for me.”
The new forward revealed he prefers to play in the middle, but would be open to play anywhere at Napoli.
“I like to play as a centre-forward, but I can play in any position. I’m happy to be at Napoli and I have fantastic teammates.”
The initial reports claimed Osimhen was hesitant, fearing the racism in Italy, but the Nigerian said he was convinced after visiting Naples.
“I admit to being sceptical about the situation of racism in this country,” he said. “Then, however, I went to Naples and I saw it with my own eyes.
“At that point, my vision changed, even after meeting the President and with the coach. I’m sure that racism will not be a problem for my career, with the affection of my fans, I will overcome any difficulty.