A former scout for Napoli has opened up on how he spotted Victor Osimhen long before the club signed him in what looks like a sly dig at the striker.
Osimhen left the club temporarily and joined Galatasaray on a season-long loan after the Italians botched his proposed moves to Paris Saint-Germain and Saudi club Al-Ahli and after a failed agreement with Chelsea.
As noted by Transfermarkt, the Nigerian has started brightly for the Turkish champions, notching three goals and five assists in his first six matches in the Super Lig and Europa League.
Former Napoli head scout Leonardo Mantovani appeared to have aimed a dig at Osimhen by claiming he did not fit the club’s style of play when he was first spotted.
“I happened to see him in a Champions League match between Ajax and Lille,” he told Radio Napoli Centrale, as quoted by Tutto Napoli. “But, in reality, we were there to observe Ajax’s full-backs, Mazraoui on the right and Tagliafico on the left.
“When I got back, I made my report on the game and noted that there were two other strong players: one was Soumaré, a midfielder, and the other was Osimhen. This striker ran a lot, covering the entire area—maybe he even ran too much (he laughs). But he was truly unstoppable.”
Mantovani claimed the club overlooked him because he didn’t fit their style, but he was considered after Gennaro Gattuso took over at the club. He helped the club win the 2022/23 Scudetto, their first in 33 years....Read Full Article [Click Here>]
“The full-backs were strong, but I also noted that Osimhen wasn’t the player who fit our needs at that time,” he concluded.
Osimhen is expected to leave Napoli permanently next summer as he will not play for the club again, and Chelsea and other clubs are monitoring his situation at Galatasaray.
NigeriaMedia reported that Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis aims a dig at Osimhen over the manner in which he left the club before joining Galatasaray on loan.
The Super Eagles star decided he would not play for the club again after they reneged on the gentleman’s agreement to let him leave last summer by botching moves.
It was also reported that Galatasaray head coach Okan Buruk aimed a dig at Napoli after Victor Osimhen’s bright start on loan for the Turkish champions.
Buruk applauded the striker’s professionalism and leadership in the dressing room, a comment which opposed the negative public image presented by the Italians.
