Back from injury Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen reminds Serie A watchers that despite the emergence of Giacomo Raspadori, he is still the man to lead the Napoli attack. IKENWA NNABUOGOR writes…
Giacomo Raspadori had barely stepped out of Victor Osimhen’s shadows when the record signing was keeping date with the doctors, than former Napoli striker Claudio Belluchi hastily talked up the “emergency striker” as being more functional than Osimhen as the Serie A leaders’ attacking option.
As opinionated as Belucchi was, Raspadori, on loan from Sassuolo, knows he would have to triple his efforts to sway manager Luciano Spalletti’s choice away from his preferred African talisman and his performances before Osimhen returned was far from convincing Spalleti that Osimhen was worth sacrificing for.
Flashes of early goal promises were scarcely limited in the league where he has only managed a paltry lone goal compared to his sweet goal account in the Champions League when star striker Osimhen was on the treatment table.
Raspadori never really made Spalleti think twice about playing him (Raspadori) ahead of Osimhen as he threw him (Osimhen) in as soon as he was certified fully fit to continue from where he left off on September 7, when he hobbled off after 41 minutes in a 4-1 hammering of Liverpool in a UEFA Champions League group tie in Naples.
Though, Osimhen had gone three games without scoring after his last strike against Monza in their emphatic 4-0 home win on August 20, the former Lille hit man didn’t waste time to prove the Raspadori talk was a mere distraction as he struck from the bench for Napoli to continue their impressive Champions League run turning back Ajax Amsterdam 4-1 for the “usual” maximum points in Group A to cruise to the knockout rounds with two rounds of games to spare.
Slaying AS Roma with their “Special One” Jose Mourinho looking helpless from the dugout with a harsh referee’s caution, completed a mouthwatering harvest of goals since he came back on the pitch, netting thrice on the trot and looking forward to scoring more.
It was typical Osimhen wolfing down the Ajax back line as if his life depended on it and getting caught offside a number of times before getting on the score sheet with the “help” of the stretched Ajax defence to remind watchers he wasn’t in for those infantile Raspadori comparisons.
He would show Raspadori how to do it four days later after the Ajax humiliation when stubborn Bologna came to town, netting the winner in the hard earned 3-2 victory after replacing his “protege” by the start of the second half.
Now fully fit and back in charge of Napoli attacking line, Spalletti put Osimhen’s nose in front when tough-talking Mourinho hosted the rampant league leaders from Naples and when they thought you were running away from a valuable point, Osimhen silenced Mourinho and his team with ten minutes left on the clock.
Mission to Rome accomplished as Osimhen had his tails up in the keen contest, while the upstart from Sassuolo continued his learning process from the dugout for 90 minutes as his senior striker proved he was worth all the trouble.
Part of Osimhen’s Rome Mission was to “disorganise” the friendly atmosphere in the Roma dressing room as his “senior man” and England international with Nigerian roots Tammy Abraham later admitted.
In truth, it’s a serious career booster for the 20-year old Raspadori who should see Belucchi’s words as flattering and pushing him to do more for his young career.
Spalletti knows the seriousness in the business of gunning for quadruple honours all in one season as having his talisman Osimhen back in record time will only boost his titles’ quests especially the Scudetto that has eluded the Neopolitans since the late legendary Argentine superstar helped them lift the title in 1989/1990 season.
Osimhen hasn’t looked like one who’s ruffled with those Raspadori talks as he looked even more daring in his comeback and joined his mates in the defence to help out.
His stocks have risen expectedly as transfer talks are back on in the air for him again and it remains to be seen if he would stay at Diego Armando Maradona Stadium or join one of his numerous suitors.
Chelsea are back bidding again and looking good to finally bring the hotshot over to the Bridge in the summer.
Manchester United eggheads were almost shaking hands for a well done business with their Napoli counterparts last summer, but then it didn’t happen as Osimhen continues to match his transfer worth with the breathtaking performances on the pitch and it appears breaking the bank will finally pull him out of Naples.
