The Nigerian international has room for development, but he is already one of the finest, according to a respected Italian tactician
Napoli manager Luciano Spalletti says he is not surprised that the Serie A governing authority has named Victor Osimhen the league’s best under-23 star.
Osimhen scooped the award following his record of 14 goals and five assists in his second season at the Diego Maradona Stadium.
The Super Eagles star only featured in 27 of Napoli’s 37 league games with a nasty facial injury that required surgery, suspensions, and coronavirus, limiting his impact for the Neapolitans.
Spalletti maintains Osimhen could have achieved more this term if he had not been bedevilled by so many football and non-football-related issues, which made the Nigerian appear to go from one trouble to another.
But the former AS Roma boss is not in doubt that the Nigerian has a high possibility of improvement. Spalletti believes the former Lille lad will continue to score freely even as he improves his finishing.
Speaking at Friday’s press conference about Osimhen’s award for the best under-23 player in Serie A, Spalletti said, “Yes, we discovered some things that unfortunately this year due to too many injuries, due to the need for him to work with the team on the details …
“For example, he went from hole to hole, but if you raise it to him, he has a level above normal.
“Having him available immediately is a big advantage for him and the team; I am convinced that he will continue to score many goals, and he will increase his quality in finishing.”
Osimhen has been linked with Manchester United and Newcastle United in the past few weeks and recent reports suggest that Arsenal have tabled a significant bid for the 23-year-old.
Napoli have, however, rejected the offer as it was below the €110 million Il Partenopei are demanding for their Nigerian import.
