“He’d be perfect with Osimhen” – Super Eagles striker tipped to flourish beside Napoli target

Il Partenopei are rebuilding a team that saw nearly half of its most influential stars depart for greener pastures this summer

Italian football expert Maurizio Pistocchi believes Napoli have made the right decision in targeting young Sassuolo striker Giacomo Raspadori as an attacking partner for Victor Osimhen.

With Serie A starting in another few days, Napoli are still caught in the middle of a rebuilding process.

This summer, the Neapolitans waved goodbye to three of the club’s leading figures in captain Lorenzo Insigne, Dries Mertens, and Kalidou Koulibaly. All three were more than 30 years old.

In attack, Napoli have already signed young Georgian playmaker Kvaratskhelia as a direct replacement for Insigne.

The Serie A giants remain keen on bringing in at least one more attacker before the league season kicks off this weekend.

Reports in the Italian media suggest that Sassuolo’s Giacomo Raspadori and Hellas Verona’s Giovanni Simeone are close to switching to Naples.

Pistocchi on Raspadori-Osimhen partnership

Italian pundit Maurizio Pistocchi is, however, a big fan of 22-year-old Raspadori.

The young Sassuolo talent excelled last season under Alessio Dionisi, scoring ten goals and providing six assists in 36 Serie A appearances.

A regular feature in Roberto Mancini’s Italy set-up, Raspadori was a part of the squad that won Euro 2020 last year.

And Pistocchi is convinced that the addition of the Italy international will raise Osimhen’s game to the next level.

“Napoli is a team that at the moment leaves its substitutes disappointed but has replaced Insigne very well with Kvaratskhelia,” the 66-year-old football commentator told Radio Marte via Tutto Napoli.

“The purchase of the player behind Osimhen becomes essential. I like Raspadori very much. In my opinion, he would be perfect with Osimhen.”

Osimhen, Serie A’s best young player of the season last term, scored 14 goals and added two assists in 27 appearances for Napoli.

The Nigeria international will aim to improve those numbers this term, starting with Napoli’s first league clash at Verona on Monday.