By Yusuf Kareem
Former Super Eagles striker Benedict Akwuegbu has advised Victor Osimhen to remain in Europe and resist the lure of a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia, adding the Napoli striker remains one of the best strikers in the world right now.
Akwuegbu, who had 35 caps and scored 10 goals for the Nigerian national team before retiring, now runs his own football club, Ben Akwuegbu FC, which he acquired in 2022. The club currently competes in the Nigeria Nationwide League.
Akwuegbu praised Osimhen as ‘one of the most dangerous strikers in the world’, insisting the Napoli forward still ranks among the best globally.
“Victor Osimhen is still the best striker in the world,” Akwuegbu said in an interview with Brila FM. “But in my opinion, he should not leave Europe and go play in Saudi Arabia. He deserves to be with a top European club in England, Spain, Italy any of the big leagues. That’s where he belongs.”
Akwuegbu warned that a move outside Europe’s top five leagues could hurt the 2023 African Footballer of the Year chances of winning major individual silverwares
“If he goes to a club (in Saudi Arabia) that only offers big money and doesn’t compete in the top European leagues, he should forget about winning the African Player of the Year,” the former AK Grazer striker further said.“ Those leagues are not rated as highly. If he wants to remain relevant and be considered one of the best strikers in the world, he has to stay in Europe.”
He furthered by emphasizing that while money is important, legacy and achievements such as awards and global recognition are what ultimately matter.
In a related development, Italian transfer guru Alfredo Pedulla has said that ‘ a Victor Osimhen transfer to Juventus’ this summer should not be ruled out.
The Napoli forward Napoli has been linked to a host of Europe’s biggest clubs, including Man United , Arsenal, Chelsea and Juventus.
Galatasaray want to make his loan move permanent but it is only Al Hilal who have made concrete moves for the player.
Osimhen has rejected a number of lucrative offers from Al Hilal but Pedulla said that Juventus should not be ruled out later in the window.
“With Osimhen it’s something that can change every day. I think he’s been one of the most complicated players in the history of the market in the last 10 years,” Pedulla told The Italian Football Podcast.
“It was already complicated last summer, you’ll remember. Then he decided to choose Galatasaray.
“Now, if he wanted to take the money, he would already be the new striker of Al Hilal. Al Hilal offered him thirty-five million a season plus bonuses to get to forty.
“He decided not to go. I don’t rule out that they might try again, but I know that he has always closed the door to Saudi Arabia. Because he doesn’t like it, he doesn’t want to go. He is still young, he doesn’t want to go at 27. Knowing him, he would get tired after a week, two months and then he would return to Italy. You know, with money you can convince anyone, but at the moment it’s a no.
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“I also tell you that Galatasaray are hoping but it’s not easy. The Premier League clubs as of today have not made any concrete moves so far and Juventus cannot be excluded, but it is an operation that costs money.
“If Cristiano Giuntoli (former Juventus sporting director sacked this month) had stayed, I would have told you today that Osimhen would have been the new Juventus striker with an eighty percent certainty after the Club World Cup.
“Now, without Giuntoli, maybe it won’t be eighty percent, but until he makes a decision, Juventus will have some hope to maybe bring this operation home later.
“So it’s a difficult situation. Every day he changes his mind. The night before he thinks one thing and the day after he thinks another. So he has to be followed step by step.”
Osimhen joined Galatasaray last summer on loan for the season from Napoli until June 2025.It was a dry loan with Galatasaray simply covering his salary from September until June at a cost of €10 million.
He enjoyed a fantastic season with Galatasaray, scoring 37 goals in all competitions and winning both the Turkish league title and domestic cup.
Osimhen has returned to Napoli but leave the club permanently this summer. He has a release clause in his Napoli contract worth €75 million, for foreign clubs only from July 1 to 15.
