The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Victor Osimhen

  • ‘Rejected’ Osimhen to start pre-season with Napoli

    ‘Rejected’ Osimhen to start pre-season with Napoli

    With no offers  yet in sight  despite being linked with a move away from Napoli this summer, Super Eagles’ ace striker Victor Osimhen  will reportedly resume pre-season training  with the former Italian champions next week.

    According to Football Italia, new Napoli coach Antonio Conte could meet Victor Osimhen in Castel Volturno next week as no European club has yet made a formal offer to secure the striker’s services.

    The Nigeria international has a €130m clause included in his contract with the Partenopei but despite rumours linking Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United with the 25-year-old, there are still no official bids on Napoli’s table.

    No club seems willing to pay €130m for Osimhen, and it may be difficult to find suitable candidates even if the Partenopei lowers the price to €100m.

    Conte is prepared to part company with the striker, but if no club steps up over the next few days, Osimhen will have to start the pre-season with Napoli on Thursday, July 11, 2024.

    Read Also: NFF toasts Sports Minister Enoh on 58th birthday

    Last week at his unveiling as the new manager of Napoli, the 54-year-old  Conte described  Osimhen as ‘a top player’  despite making a categorical statement about the future of the former upstart with Wolfsburg in Germany. 

     “I know very well about the Osimhen situation,” Conte reportedly said. “I know that there are agreements with the club, it’s a totally different situation, which I’ll witness.

    “Then if you ask me about the player, he’s a top player, but I can’t get into any discussions about Osimhen because these are previous agreements,” he added.

    Yet Italian tabloid  Il Corriere dello Sport has given a fresh insight on why English Premiership trio  of  Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United  have put Osimhen transfer talks on hold.

    It was claimed that Arsenal prefer Viktor Gyökeres to Osimhen even if they also consider the Sporting striker’s €100m clause too high. 

    Chelsea, on the other hand, have changed their transfer targets after the appointment of the Italian Enzo Maresca, while Manchester United have set their sights on Joshua Zirkzee and will continue relying on ex-Atalanta ace Rasmus Hojlund, especially after Erik ten Hag was confirmed in charge at Old Trafford.

    Osimhen dreams of playing in the Premier League, but PSG have also been monitoring the Nigerian ace.

    Nevertheless, the Ligue 1 giants seem more interested in Osimhen’s teammate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and have already held talks with the winger’s agent, irritating Napoli.

  • On Victor Osimhen’s outburst

    On Victor Osimhen’s outburst

    Sir: Victor Osimhen’s recent video addressing his absence from the Super Eagles’ last two matches has ignited significant controversy on social media. In the video, Osimhen attributed his missed matches to an injury communicated to the national team coach, Finidi George, expressing dissatisfaction with how George handled the situation and claiming it diminished his respect for him. Osimhen strongly denied allegations of feigning injury and reiterated his commitment to the Super Eagles.

    Public reaction to Osimhen’s video has been mixed. Some argue he appears overly important and speculate he might not have spoken out had the Super Eagles been victorious in their recent matches. Additionally, many found Osimhen’s mention of Finidi George’s name in the video disrespectful. Critics labeled the video irresponsible and disrespectful, urging disciplinary action against Osimhen. They assert that such behavior sets a poor example for other players and underscores the importance of discipline and respect within the team.

    Analyzing the Super Eagles’ last two matches, it is noticeable that the team did not exhibit the same zeal displayed during the Nations Cup. Also, the dip in performance has been attributed to various factors, including possible loss of control by Finidi George over the dressing room, changes in players and tactics, and notably, the absence of key players like William Troost-Ekong, Osimhen, and Moses Simon.

    Read Also: Victor Osimhen: I owe a lot of my success to Kanu, Okocha 

    The broader consensus is that the Super Eagles need their star players and that players, in turn, benefit from playing for their national team. The commitment and performance of the players should remain consistent regardless of whether they are being coached by a local or foreign coach. The controversy surrounding Victor Osimhen underscores the delicate balance of maintaining discipline, respect, and performance within the team.

    For many, given the situation, the right thing for Victor Osimhen to do would be to apologize to Finidi George, the Nigerian Football Federation, and Nigerians as a whole. Awaiting the response of the Nigerian authorities, he should recognize that there are formal ways to address these issues which he should have explored. While Victor Osimhen’s frustrations are understandable, his manner of expression was inappropriate. Respect and discipline are foundational to any successful team, and every player must remember that they are part of a larger whole.

    •Kenechukwu Aguolu,Abuja.

  • Video outbursts: Uchegbulam pleads for caution over sanction against Osimhen

    Video outbursts: Uchegbulam pleads for caution over sanction against Osimhen

    Respected football administrator Mazi Amanze Uchegbulam believes the unfortunate petulant posturing of Napoli striker Victor Osimhen in a video rant against coach Finidi George should be treated with utmost caution and candour.

    Over the weekend, Osimhen openly disrespected the former national team coach, claiming Finidi, at a meeting between the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and Minister of Sports Development Senator John Owan Enoh, insinuated he feigned injury to miss the Super Eagles’ last two ill-fated 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers against South Africa and Benin Republic.

    While many feel strongly that Osimhen’s recalcitrant behaviour must be met with stiffer sanctions, Uchegbulam, a former Vice-President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), said Nigeria cannot afford to ‘throw away the baby with the dirty water’, adding that those in charge of the matter must apply wisdom.

    “To start with, Osimhen should not have come out to insult his coach the way he did and even calling out his name is very insulting,” Mazi Uchegbulam, the erstwhile Vice-Chairman of CAF Appeals board, told NationSports. “Finidi is older than him and has even achieved more in football than him .

    “He is just starting and I think what happened was nothing but youthful exuberance.”

    Read Also: Oshoala tips Super Falcons for Paris 2024 medal

    Describing the video rant as childish and unnecessary, Mazi Uchegbulam advised the NFF to tread softly on the matter, adding that Osimhen needs pity and counselling.

    “The NFF has to be cautious on this matter and if I were the NFF President, I would have to speak with him and his mangers in order to manage him better,” Uchegbulam, who is often regarded as one of the remaining statesmen in Nigerian football, continued. “He is still a young man and we can’t ruin his career (because of this unfortunate video rant).

    “Some people have been calling for his (Osimhen) ban, but, honestly, that is not the solution.”

    He added: “The solution is to counsel him; call him to order and let him know he has done something wrong .

    “He has a lot of future with Nigeria and we should therefore manage him with wisdom and be counselled on how to manage his successes intelligently.

    “Of course, the NFF President (Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau) should call him and ask him to apologise publicly to Finidi and Nigerians generally,” he noted. “Finidi is a legend of Nigerian football and should not have been insulted in the first instance.“

  • Arsenal ready to splash cash on Osimhen

    Arsenal ready to splash cash on Osimhen

    Victor Osimhen may get his wish to play in the Premier League with Arsenal ready to make an offer to Serie A giants Napoli.

    The 25-year-old has made no secret that he wants to leave Serie A this summer with England his preferred destination, despite heavy interest from the Saudi Pro-League.

    The Gunners have emerged as the front runners after Chelsea recently cooled their interest.

    According to RAI (via calcionapoli24.it) the North London club are unwilling to meet the player’s release clause, which Napoli values at €160M, but would be willing to negotiate for a lower fee. Napoli are reportedly ready to listen as their new coach, Antonio Conte, wants to use the cash generated to strengthen the Partenopei ahead of the new campaign.

    Arsenal are understood to have ended their interest in RB Leipzig frontman Benjamin Sesko, after the Slovenian international decided to stay in the Bundesliga next term.

    Osimhen meanwhile, has had a lucrative offer on the table from Saudi Arabia with a salary thought to be in the region of €40M a season.

    Read Also: Oshoala tips Super Falcons for Paris 2024 medal

    Meanwhile, Corriere dello Sport yesterday detailed how Osimhen isn’t interested in joining PSG this summer despite their interest, unconvinced about the idea of playing in Ligue 1. He has been dreaming of a move to the Premier League for years and is waiting for calls from England.

    Arsenal and Chelsea have regularly been linked with the 25-year-old but it could take an offer of over £100m to find a deal with Napoli, who are unlikely to stray from his release clause.

    The Partenopei are not in a rush and this saga could drag on for months as Osimhen pushes for the Premier League.

  • Serie A: Osimhen missing from Striker of the Year shortlist

    Serie A: Osimhen missing from Striker of the Year shortlist

    Nigeria international striker Victor Osimhen is conspicuously missing as the Lega Serie  A officially revealed their three-player shortlist for the Striker of the Year prize as part of the division’s annual MVP awards, including Milan’s Rafael Leao, Paulo Dybala of Roma and Juventus leading goalscorer Dusan Vlahovic.

    There are several prizes up for grabs upon the end of the 2023-24 season, including the equivalent awards for goalkeepers, defenders, and midfielders, as well as the U-23 player of the year, and the league’s overall MVP, which will be announced directly, without a shortlist, on May 24.

    This is the sixth season in the current Serie A awards format.

    Read Also: Southgate leaves Rashford, Henderson out of England’s Euro provisional squad

    Serie A confirm that the awards are based on a number of different metrics, including stats recorded from tracking data and the ‘scientifically validated’ player rating system, which measures players’ in-game impact, movement and decision making.

    Last season’s awards were dominated by Napoli representatives, as the Partenopei were crowned Scudetto winners for the first time in well over 33 years.

    Last year, the Striker of the Year prize was handed to the division’s top goalscorer in Victor Osimhen, who was pipped to the overall MVP award by his teammate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

    Previous winners include Lazio captain Ciro Immobile, Cristiano Ronaldo during his Juventus spell, Immobile once more, and Fabio Quagliarella of Sampdoria in the inaugural year.

  • Osimhen awaits Chelsea’s offers amid PSG rumours

    Osimhen awaits Chelsea’s offers amid PSG rumours

    Super Eagles’ in-demand striker Victor Osimhen is reportedly waiting for an offer from Chelsea despite claims that the Napoli striker has already a deal for his move in the summer to Paris Saint-Germain.

    Italian outlet La Repubblica, relayed by Calcio Napoli 24, said yesterday that the 25-year-old has ended up in the middle of a battle between Chelsea and PSG for his signature.

    The newspaper claimed that the French giants want to buy a centre-forward this year to cover for the loss of Kylian Mbappe and Osimhen is the man they have their eyes on.

    Contacts with Napoli have been underway for some time, with his asking price set at €120m, the valuation of his release clause.

    Chelsea are only willing to pay €100m so PSG could stump them for the signing by offering up that extra €20m and further contacts between them and Napoli are expected in the next few days to speed up the operation.

    Read Also: Unveiled ‘tough skin’ Finidi vows to rejig  Super Eagles

    This, though, feels like a classic move from Napoli and Aurelio De Laurentiis to try and convince Chelsea to hurry up and pay more.

    Yet TEAMtalk noted that Chelsea remains Osimhen’s  favoured destination due to his love of former Striker Didier Drogba and his desire to play in the Premier League.

    Sources have informed TEAMtalk that “if Chelsea want Victor, he is there waiting but it is up to them.”

    In a related development,  Italian Pink Paper, La Gazzetta dello Sport, equally revealed that star striker Osimhen wants to join Chelsea and the Blues can turn the striker’s dream into reality by paying a release clause of circa €120-130m.

  • Osimhen to face  Bologna despite injury scare

    Osimhen to face  Bologna despite injury scare

    Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen will be available for Napoli’s Serie A cracker against Champions League-bound Bologna on Sunday despite an injury scare to him in the dying moments of their draw at Udinese. 

    Osimhen put on a strong performance for Napoli on Monday, when they played Udinese at the Bluenergy Stadium. The Nigeria international scored  his side’s only goal of the game. Unfortunately, a late strike by his compatriot  Isaac Success ensured that it ended 1-1.

    Osimhen played 88 minute before getting hauled off because of a knock. And there were fears that the 25-year-old could be sidelined due to an injury, effectively ruling him out of the game against Bologna next weekend.

    Read Also:GTI lauds George ‘s appointment for Super Eagles

    This would have affected Napoli badly because of the kind of quality that Osimhen adds to the team. More so, Osimhen has scored three goals in his last five games against Bologna.

    However, Napoli have nothing to worry about, as Napoli Magazine reports that Osimhen has recovered and will be available for selection when the Partenopeans welcome Bologna to the Diego Maradona Stadium.

    The game is important for Bologna, as a win for them would seal their qualification for next season’s UEFA Champions League. On the other hand, if Napoli win, it would give them hope of qualifying for the Europa League, as they sit five points behind Lazio in the final spot.

  • Rema one of the biggest global artists – Victor Osimhen

    Rema one of the biggest global artists – Victor Osimhen

    Super Eagles and Napoli’s striker Victor Osimhen has ranked Rema on the same scale with Burna Boy, Wizkid and Davido in the global music industry.

    He noted that Rema is one of the biggest artists in the world.

    The African Player of the Year said Grammy-nominated singer Asake; Seyi Vibez and Omah Lay are still scratching the surface of their careers in terms of global domination.

    Osimhen, in a recent interview with CBS Sports Golazo, expressed optimism that Asake, Seyi Vibez and Omah Lay would be as big as Wizkid and Davido in a few years.

    Read Also: I have made my decision – Victor Osimhen

    He said: “Aside from Wizkid and Davido, we have Asake, Seyi Vibez, Omah Lay, and Rema. Rema is one of the biggest artists now in the world,” he said.

    “Rema is there [top of global music] but these guys that I called, Omah Lay, Asake, and Seyi Vibez are also on the come up. In a few years, they are really going to burst out just like Davido, Wizkid, and Burna Boy.

    “So, for me, it’s really good to be coming from Nigeria.”

  • I have made my decision – Victor Osimhen

    I have made my decision – Victor Osimhen

    Africa’s best footballer of the year, Victor Osimhen has confirmed to the media that he has made his decision on the next step to take amidst his club crises.

    He disclosed this during an interview with CBS saying, “I have already made my decision on the next step to do at the end of the season. I already made up my mind. I already have my plan, I know what I want to do, the next step I want to take.”

    When questioned about speculations regarding his potential move to Premier League clubs such as Chelsea and Arsenal, the Napoli striker responded by stating that nothing is confirmed at the moment.

    He expressed his intention to focus on finishing the season strongly with his current club and indicated that he will make decisions about his future plans afterward.

    Read Also: Victor Osimhen: I owe a lot of my success to Kanu, Okocha 

    He said: “I think 60% of the people mention the rumours about me linked with the Premier League”

    “Premier League is one of the biggest leagues in the world. I want to finish the season with Napoli strong and then come up with the decision I’ve already made.”

    Recall that Victor Osimhen signed a fresh contract with Napoli a month ago, securing his commitment to the club until 2026.

  • Victor Osimhen: Sportsman of the year

    Victor Osimhen: Sportsman of the year

    No Nigerian, and indeed, African footballer has dominated the Italian Serie A space since George Weah in the 1990s as Victor James  Osimhen has with Napoli in the 2022/2023 season.  The Nigerian goal machine who arrived Napoli in 2020 as the costliest African footballer ever with a record fee of €70 million from French Ligue 1 side Lille, virtually broke the scoring ceiling in the year under review with aplomb.

    Now regarded as one of the most sought-after strikers in the world, the 24-year-old striker is known for his elite finishing, pace, strength and athleticism so much so that Weah, the out-going President of Liberia and 1995 Ballon d’Or winner, admitted that the world has certainly become Osimhen’s oyster.

    Yet Osimhen’s breakthrough with Napoli this term started on 12th October 2022 when he scored his first UEFA Champions League goal in a 4–2 win over Ajax, which secured their qualification to the knockout phase. Weeks later, and precisely on October 29, he scored his first Serie A hat-trick in a 4–0 win over Sassuolo.

    His rich vein of form continued and in November when he scored a goal and assisted to help Napoli win 2–1 at Atalanta to etch his name in the records as Nigeria’s highest goal scorer in the Italian Serie A with 32 goals, surpassing the 31-goal record previously  held by his compatriot, Simy Nwankwo.

    Nevertheless, there are still many records to break and Osimhen would be the last person not to strive for the best having eked out a living working on construction sites and selling sachet water in the notorious Lagos traffic, long before he found fame and fortune.

    Coming through the ranks in the Bundesliga with no goal in 16 appearances for Wolfsburg, Osimhen’s scoring fervor actually came to the fore while on loan at Belgian club, Charleroi, where he notched 20 goals in 36 appearances. 

    He racked up 46 in 100 appearances for Lille, en route to Italy, where he scored his 100th   career goal in February 2023 to help Napoli to a 2-0 win at Sassuolo. He also became the first ever player in the history of the club in the three-point era, to score in seven league games in a row.

    In the UEFA Champions League round of 16, Osimhen scored three goals over two legs for Napoli against Eintracht Frankfurt, which ended in a 5–0 win on aggregate and a first-time qualification to the quarter-finals, where the coach Luciano Spalletti’s side  were undone by AC Milan in a 2-1 aggregate win.

    Back in Serie A, the CAF Youth Player of the Year in 2015, after his record 10 goals, significantly secured Nigeria’s fifth FIFA U17 World Cup title in Chile, hogged the headlines as he scored the equaliser in a 1–1 draw against Udinese on 4th May 2023, to confirm Napoli as Serie A champions for the first time in 33 years.

    What a momentous occasion it was for a club that last won the Scudetto in the 1989/1990 season – during the era of Argentine legend Diego Maradona. Aside Napoli’s pivotal achievement, Osimhen personally registered more accolades as he became the joint-highest goalscoring African in the Serie A alongside Weah. He even eclipsed Samuel Eto’o as the African player with most goals in a single Italian championship season with 25 goals against the 24-goal record previously held by the Cameroonian.

    He would later score the winner in a 1–0 victory over Fiorentina to become the highest scoring African player in Serie A with 47 goals, overtaking Weah’s 46-goal record.

    In a heartfelt  commendation for his ‘goal-rious’ performance, Weah, the only African to have won the Ballon d’Or and FIFA World Player of The Year, congratulated Osimhen, stating inter alia: “My heartfelt congratulations to you, Victor Osimhen! I am very glad that you have accomplished a major milestone in your football career, after scoring your 47th goal in the Italian Serie A league.

    “The records show that this goal, which you netted on Sunday, May 7, 2023 when your team Napoli went against Fiorentina, effectively makes you the African with the highest scoring record in the Italian Serie A league – surpassing my own account of 46 goals.

    Read Also: Buying a house for late dad my greatest achievement – Victor Osimhen

    “I am so proud of your exploits and congratulate you on this remarkable achievement which is a result of your hard work, dedication and tenacity. I am also pleased with your kind words of honour in tribute to me upon reaching such a giant milestone.

     “The sky is your limit. With your dedication, commitment, humility, and hard work, you can conquer the World. Africa needs another World Best. Africa needs another European Best. You, Victor, can deliver that for us.”

    Altogether, Osimhen finished the 2022/ 2023 season with 26 Serie A goals (but 31 in all competitions) to become  the first African to be crowned the Italian Serie A top scorer, otherwise known as The Capocannoniere.

    Largely thanks to his goalscoring contributions in Napoli’s third Scudetto glory since their triumphs in the 1986/1987 and 1989/1990 seasons, more fitting honours have since poured in for the Nigerian ace who also topped the scorers’ sheet in the  2023 Africa Cup of Nations(AFCON) qualifying tournament with an impressive 10 goals.

    Remarkably, he registered a double hat-trick in the 10-0 away win over São Tomé and Príncipe where he scored four goals and the other hat-trick in Nigeria’s 6–0 spanking of the same opponent at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, last September.

    In October, Osimhen hit another career milestone when he was ranked 8th Best Player in the 2023 Ballon d’Or and became the first Nigerian player to make the top ten in the prestigious annual individual awards.

    The following month, he was in the mix of 30 nominees for the 2023 CAF African Footballer of the Year and eventually listed in the final three  along with Mohamed Salah of Egypt and Liverpool as well as Ashraf Hakimi of Morocco and PSG for the men’s top award.

    Ahead of the African Awards Gala in Morocco on December 11, Osimhen was officially crowned as the 2023 Italian Footballers’ Association (AIC) Footballer of the Year at its Gran Gal del Calcio held in Milan held on 4th December.

    “Thank you @grangadelcalcioaic for the recognition and awards, thank you my family, friends and supporters for your votes and unending support,” Osimhen, who will be 25 on December 29, posted on his Instagram Page, adding: “God is the Greatest.”

    But the defining moment of his career came when he was named African Player of the Year on December 11 in Marrakesh, Morocco, as he saw off both Hakimi and Salah to become the first Nigerian in 24 years to win the prestigious award.

    “It’s a dream come true for me,” Osimhen said. “I appreciate Nigerians for their support. I appreciate Africa for putting me on the map, encouraging me, and defending me, regardless of my shortcomings,” he said.

    For his astonishing exploits with Napoli, Osimhen, a proud recipient of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR), is undoubtedly Nigeria’s sporting greatest of 2023 and deservedly, this newspaper’s Sportsman of the Year.