IKENWA NNABUOGOR hopes that the Lille striker’s almost completed 70 million Euros transfer to Italian giants Napoli will put the spotlight on Nigerian players on the transfer market…
Never in the history of Nigerian football has this staggering, mind-boggling mega cash transfer fee dangled by Italian side Napoli at Lille youngster Victor Osimhen been offered to a Nigerian player.
Should this deal pull through, the Super Eagles striker will become the most expensive, coming close second on the rating behind Arsenal winger Nicolas Pepe, who exchanged Lille’s colours for those of Arsenal last season.
Osimhen will also become the undisputed most expensive Nigerian player when the deal is finally expected to be sealed soon.
The former Golden Eaglets top marksman flew to Naples with his agent yesterday to tie the loose ends of the much-talked about transfer.
Osimhen has been in the news for the right reasons since he burst into sweet, goal-banging spree at Belgian side Sporting Charleroi after a better forgotten spell at German side VFL Wolfsburg.
Not only will he become the most expensive Nigerian player, this move could bring in new order in Nigeria football as Nigerian players appeared to have taken the back in the past as Ivorian, Senegalese, Ghanaian and even Malian players attracted bank-breaking figures from top spenders.
It will take something extraordinary for a Nigerian player to equal or smash Osimhen’s record should this Napoli deal be rubber-stamped.
Villarreal kid sensation Samuel Chukwueze, Club Brugge striker Bonaventure Dennis have also been hogging the transfer headlines but the figures speculated have nowhere been near Osimhen’s.
Could this transfer mean Nigerian players are back in hot demand, a mind-blowing departure from the past when hardly a Nigerian player made any major transfer headlines?
The numbers are expected to grow with this mouth-watering across the border switch, but performances must be top notch among Nigerian players to make this happen.
Apart from Dennis and Chukwueze, quite a few players have hit the double figure mark in transfer talks but a lot more players are expected to follow in the Osimhen’s footsteps.
Osimhen is only 21 and has done well to attract top spenders to keep his phones ringing.
Inter Milan, Manchester United, Real Madrid and others were all associated with the former Charleroi striker, but Napoli appeared to have eventually won the race.
It’s indeed a heart-warming news out of Africa that for the first time in as many years a Nigerian player is attracting such a huge transfer fee.
Osimhen will now shade Alex Iwobi’s £40 million transfer record to become the most expensive Nigerian player in history.
Iwobi switched from Arsenal to Everton last summer dumped Kelechi Iheanacho’s earlier £25 million move from Manchester City to Leicester City.
Interestingly, Osimhen equally appears good to smash Pepe’s record in future as he’s expected to bring his Lille smoking form along.
He’s only 21 and could be on the move for a few Euros more from Napoli.
Napoli, remembered majorly for their history-making exploits of Argentine battle ship Diego Maradona, who led them to two Seria A Scudettos (titles) in the late 80s amidst multiple champions AC Milan and Juventus, are backed by their new owners’ millions.
Giving Juventus a fight for the honours have propelled Napoli to fortify their side to keep the competition alive.
Osimhen is set to replace departing striker Arkadiusk Milik as he’s expected to sign a five-year contract.
Welcome to the top billionaires’ club, Osimhen!
