Amid constant reports that Nigeria international, Victor Osimhen, will leave Napoli at the end of the season, Italian journalist, Paolo Esposito, believes the striker is already thinking about a move to the English Premier League.
The striker was left out of the squad that faced Fiorentina last Friday night and according to the journalist, he could also be excluded when the former Serie A champions take on Lecce on the last day of the season next Sunday.
“Had Osimhen been there, Napoli would have taken home the three points but he now thinks alone to settle in the Premier League or somewhere else, despite the large salary he still receives from Napoli. Imagine if he risks his legs in these useless matches,” Esposito was quoted saying by Area Napoli.
After a successful four-year spell at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, the Nigeria international is expected to leave Naples despite signing a contract extension in December.
Osimhen is one of the most sought-after strikers in Europe following a successful time in Italy.
The 25-year-old played a huge role as Napoli claimed the Serie A title last season – their first in over three decades.
The Nigerian striker scored 31 goals across 39 appearances with 26 of those goals in the league.
Osimhen has netted 76 times across 132 appearances for Napoli and it came as no surprise that he has been linked with some top clubs in Europe.
While his next move is yet to be decided, it is widely believed that the 25-year-old will leave Naples, and as such the club are already in search of his replacement.
In what has been an astonishing period of his career for the Lagos-born striker, Osimhen became the first Nigerian footballer in history to be named in the Top 10 of the Ballon d’Or with an eighth-place finish.
He also became the first Nigerian, since Nwankwo Kanu in 1999, to be named African Footballer of The Year, beating Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi and Egypt’s Mohamed Salah to the award at the CAF awards ceremony in Marrakech last December.
