This past season was an anti-climax for both Victor Osimhen and his Italian Serie A club Napoli.
Just how good was this Osimhen x Lookman duo at #TotalEnergiesAFCON2023? 🤩🇳🇬 pic.twitter.com/4bjtnetrVV
— CAF (@CAF_Online) February 17, 2024
In December, he won a deserved CAF Player of the Year for 2023 on the back of his goals that won Napoli the Scudetto more than three decades after they were last crowned champions of Italy.
He made history by becoming the first African to finish as Goal King in Serie A with 26 goals.
This past campaign he netted 15 goals and provided three assists as Napoli could only manage a weak defence of their title.
Napoli, who had three different coaches during the season, finished a disappointing 10th in Serie A with 53 points from 38 matches.
They will not play in any European clubs’ competitions in the new season.
It was at the delayed 2023 AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire earlier this year that he again demonstrated his whole-hearted commitment to the Super Eagles.
The rather defensive approach of coach Jose Peseiro (3-4-3 formation) at the tournament meant he was often isolated upfront.
Already a marked man, the power-playing striker literally put his body on the line for the team to finish the competition with a lone strike in the opening group game against Equatorial Guinea and an assist against Cameroon in the Round of 16.
His Transfermarkt valuation has since dropped from a record-breaking 120 Million Euros to 100 Million Euros.
Both he and Napoli agree that his future is away from the club and it is now left to be seen where he will eventually pitch his tent this summer amid rife speculations about his future.
He remains a top-class striker, but his viral social media outburst has not exactly endeared him to many suitors.
