Victor Osimhen, the Nigerian international and striker for Napoli, has expressed his desire to play in the Premier League. Osimhen has scored 21 goals and made four assists in just 26 appearances this season, helping his side go 15 points clear at the top of Serie A and making them one of the favourites for this year’s Champions League. His impressive performances have attracted interest from Manchester United and Chelsea, who are both in the market for a world-class striker.
Erik ten Hag, the manager of Manchester United, is looking for a serious upgrade on Anthony Martial and Wout Weghorst, with Osimhen viewed as an ideal fit for the Dutch manager’s style of play. Graham Potter, the manager of Chelsea, is also after a natural No.9 to solve the Blues’ goalscoring woes, though he does have Christopher Nkunku arriving in the summer from RB Leipzig.
Napoli is keen on holding on to Osimhen, but while the 24-year-old is committed to the Italian club for now, he has once again stated his desire to move to the Premier League. “Playing in one of the top five leagues in the world is an amazing feeling for me and a good fit,” he said in a press conference on Monday. “Now, I’m in one of the best leagues in the world which is the Italian Serie A. But of course, a lot of people worldwide consider the Premier League as the best and the strongest league. I’m working so hard to make sure that I achieve my dream of playing in the Premier League someday. But like I said, it’s a process and I just want to keep on this momentum and continue to do well.”
Osimhen is likely to command a record fee if and when he does move, with reports in February claiming that Napoli want upwards of €100million (£89.7m) for their talisman whom they signed in 2020 from Lille for £67m. His contract expires in 2025, but for now, the striker will be focusing on Napoli’s Champions League round of 16 match with Frankfurt which takes place on Wednesday night, with the Italian side 2-0 in the tie after the first-leg.