There has been a lot of controversy around Victor Osimhen and Napoli in recent weeks. The defending Serie A winners posted two videos on TikTok, mocking the striker. Both videos were deleted after outrage from the football community. This has sparked conversation on his intentions to stay at the club, and it has come out that he is keen on a move to the Premier League according to reports.
🚨 OFFICIAL: Victor Osimhen personal statement about Napoli & his situation.
“Coming to the City of Naples in 2020 was a wonderful decision for me. The People of Napoli have shown me so much love and kindness, and I will not allow anyone to come between us”.
“The passion of the… pic.twitter.com/mFHdySp0fT
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 1, 2023
Osimhen was still selected for the next game and scored in a 4-0 win against Leece, and also released a statement about the whole situation with Napoli.
Which clubs could sign Osimhen?
Of course, Victor Osimhen is a world-class talent and can walk into every side (bar Manchester City) with ease. However, there are only a couple of realistic options that could get the signing of the striker if he were to make a move. As it stands, the sides would be Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham.
Arsenal and Chelsea striker issues
Mikel Arteta’s side currently has the option of Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah when it comes to main strikers, Yet, both lack consistency and it is an area that could be improved in terms of a proper number nine. It has come out that they are interested in Brentford’s Ivan Toney, and with him becoming available in January, he could be an option.
With that being said, Chelsea is desperate for a striker and will be on the lookout when the window reopens. They are also interested in Ivan Toney, so it could come down to which club signs which player first. Realistically speaking, Chelsea is more likely to splash more money than Arsenal when it comes to signing a player. Thus, we could see Ivan Toney go to Arsenal, and Osimhen make a move to the Blues.
Tottenham needs to replace Harry Kane
Bayern Munich completed the signing of Harry Kane from Tottenham for a fee of £100 million in the summer, with Son Heung-min currently taking up the position of striker. Tottenham will also be in the market for a proven elite goalscorer, and they have the money to invest in one after the sale of Kane.
Newcastle previously interested
Last January, Newcastle also put a bid in for him, so the concrete interest in there. However, the move would highly depend on their performances this season in the Premier League and Champions League. The odds are certainly against them after a slow start in the Premier League and being matched up with Paris Saint-Germain, Milan and Borussia Dortmund in the UCL group stages.
How much is he worth?
Victor Osimhen’s goal contributions for Napoli are exceptional, scoring 64 and assisting 15 in 109 games at the time of writing. He is a modern number nine, who is direct and has the ability to finish, hold and link-up play, and is known for his work rate off the ball. One of his main abilities that the opposition fears is his pace. He clocked a speed of 36.61km/h, ranking him the third fastest player in Europe’s ‘Big 5’ leagues. This makes him absolutely unplayable in transitions and on the counterattack.
Something to note is the fact he is just 24 years of age, and is already a top player. In years to come when he hits his prime, it is going to be intimidating to even think of facing the Nigerian on the field. There have been comparisons between him and Edison Cavani as both possess the qualities that make them all-round players. Of course, both are deadly in front of goal.
Saudi League side Al Hilal placed a £120.3m bid in the summer, and it was said that Napoli would want more than £128.8m to even consider moving him on. That price is guaranteed to increase if he was to perform again this season, which he is on track to do.
Victor Osimhen would be an amazing addition to the league, and it would be interesting to see how he would perform in a new system. We will have to see where this one goes when the transfer window opens.