Italian football expert Enrico Varriale has weighed in on the potential transfer fee for Victor Osimhen, suggesting that an offer of €150 million would not be unreasonable, Soccernet.ng reports.
Varriale's assessment comes in light of AC Milan's recent €70 million (taken to €80m due to bonuses) windfall from the sale of Sandro Tonali to Newcastle United, making him their joint most expensive signing alongside Alexander Isak.
Tonali, a talented deep-lying playmaker and technically gifted box-to-box midfielder, is highly regarded in Italy. However, his modest statistics of two goals and seven assists in Serie A last season pale in comparison to Osimhen's impressive achievements.
The Nigerian striker netted an impressive 26 league goals, securing the title of Serie A's top scorer and propelling Napoli to their first Scudetto in 33 years.
According to Varriale, only Manchester City's Erling Haaland can rival Osimhen's prowess, making the €150 million transfer fee a justifiable figure in the current inflated market.
Varriale, who spoke on 1 Station Radio (as per Tutto Napoli), acknowledges that Napoli, under the stewardship of their resilient chairman De Laurentiis, possess the financial stability to resist any offers for their star striker.
The media practitioner even suggests that an evaluation of €200 million might be appropriate, although he acknowledges the excessiveness of such figures, attributing them to the prevailing madness in the market.
“In technical and sporting evaluations, however, it must be considered that a possible replacement for Osimhen, with his same characteristics and strength, is really difficult to find. The impact in Italian football, with its tactics, requires a certain readiness.
“Only City have a player who can be said to be at his level. However, Napoli is a solid club that doesn't need to sell. It is a great merit of De Laurentiis that the newspapers often forget to underline. Inter can't buy anyone if they don't sell Onana.
“In light of the current transfer market, in which 80 million is paid for Tonali, 150 for Victor is also not much. Perhaps 200 would be the most appropriate rating. These evaluations are clearly excessive but balanced according to the criterion of a crazy market.”
Osimhen's performances have garnered attention from top clubs. Still, it remains to be seen which team will ultimately secure his services, with Chelsea, Manchester United, PSG, and Real Madrid all reportedly expressing interest in the prolific striker.
