Madrid Keeps a Close Eye on Naples Striker Victor Osimhen as Potential Replacement for Benzema

He is a goal colossus and it is precisely that, the goal, that has put him in the showcase. Victor Osimhen (Lagos, Nigeria; 24 years old) last year reached what until now has been his football zenith. His 26 goals (31, among all competitions) gave Naples its third Scudetto, the first in the club’s history without Maradona and the only one in the last 30 years (the previous one dated back to 1990). The Nigerian scored almost 34% of his team’s goals in the League, a more than notable contribution that caused clubs from all over Europe (with Bayern Munich and United among the most interested) to ask about him this summer. Also from other continents. Al Hilal even offered 40 million net per season to him and 140 to Naples. An irrefutable candy for anyone, but one that De Laurentis, president of the Parthenopean entity, chose to decline.

His refusal to such a succulent offer was just the umpteenth demonstration of the esteem and sporting faith that the top Neapolitan leader professes to his killer. The Saudi cast was not the only one who wanted to get Osimhen. Benzema’s departure at the beginning of June made Madrid get to work looking for a guaranteed replacement and, in that search, the Naples striker was, along with Harry Kane, the priority option. The operation did not materialize due to the prohibitive price at which De Laurentis valued his player (200 million euros), but Madrid does not lose track of him.

Madrid does not lose track of him

Despite Mbappé being the number 1 target at Concha Espina, the club is considering other options in case the Frenchman again chooses to close the door in the summer. If it ends up happening, the entity is thinking of two names to reinforce the lead: Haaland and Osimhen. The idea is that one of the two will land in the capital if the soap opera in which Bondy’s talent has been the protagonist for years ends in a cross. Osimhen has a contract with the Neapolitan club until 2025, and in August he reached an agreement in principle with the entity to extend his contract until 2027 at a rate of about 10 million euros net per season, more than double what he currently charges. Told this way, a possible agreement seems impossible, but there are elements in the equation that invite optimism.

This principle of agreement has not yet been translated into a signature and the latest events contribute to increasing doubts. The Nigerian is a player of character and the way he acts at this start of the season has shown this. The team’s start was not good, Naples lost in two of the first three rounds of Serie A and tied in the next two, a hesitant start that created nervousness in the city and in the forward. After being substituted late in the last of those two draws, a 0-0 draw in Bologna, he got into a heated argument with Rudi García, just the appetizer of what came next. The club uploaded a Tik Tok joking about the penalty missed by the Nigerian in that same match, and he reacted drastically: he decided to delete all the photos that he had published with the Naples shirt.

Osimhen argues with Rudi García after being substituted against Bologna. SERENA CAMPANINIEFE

The situation became dantesque, the ideal breeding ground for a possible exit in the summer and Madrid, although from a distance and in silence, has not lost any detail. The last two defeats (4-1 against Udinese and 0-4 against Lecce) have calmed the waters, but in Chamartín’s offices Osimhen is still present. Due to age and characteristics, it fits. He is a powerful and big forward who handles himself well both in the area, acting as a finisher and with spaces in front. He has proven to be capable of imposing his punch in recent years and this year it doesn’t seem like things are going to change. So far this season he has scored five goals, three more than he had at this point in the season in 2022-23, the most productive of his career. This Tuesday, Madrid will have to pay special attention to him, something that is not new. In the white club he is well known.

2023-10-03 08:53:22
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