Former Ballon d’Or winner Fabio Cannavaro has warned the president of Napoli Aurelio De Laurentiis over the future of Nigeria international forward Victor Osimhen, who is linked with a move away from the club, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.
Osimhen powered Napoli to their first league title in over 33 years scoring 26 goals with four assists. The 25 year old also found the back of the net five times in six games in the UEFA Champions League.
His form alerted the top teams in Europe but Napoli are digging deep to keep the Nigerian at the Diego Maradona Stadium with the offer of a fresh two year deal, which will extend his stay at the club till the summer of 2026.
Cannavaro who had a stint at relegated Serie A side Benevento has however warned Napoli that Osimhen’s future isn’t guaranteed, if Ligue 1 side PSG or Manchester United so desire to sign the forward despite their €180m valuation of the forward.
“Certainly clubs like Paris Saint-Germain or Manchester United, the ones that need a centre-forward the most, if they decide to sign a player from Italy they will get him (Osimhen)”, he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“These are the forces on the market, it’s pointless to delude yourself. De Laurentiis has correct business concepts and has shown that he is up to the job organizationally. He managed to make the square understand that you can also change, while remaining competitive I’m a little worried about the loss of Kim: he’s very strong and replacing him won’t be easy.”
Damian Waziri