Napoli Targets Two Nigerians as Osimhen’s Replacement

Femi Solaja with agency report

With increasing uncertainty over Victor Osimhen’s future at  Napoli, the Italian League champions are scouting Europe for possible replacements for their Nigerian forward.

Osimhen who came on as second half substitute for Giovanni Simeone failed to get on the scorer’s sheet as Napoli lost their Champions League Group C game 4-2 at Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu last night.

After speculations over Osimhen’s possible move last summer, now, there are possibilities of the striker leaving the club in the January transfer window. And  Chelsea have begun moves to pry away the Nigerian lad to Stamford Bridge ahead of other big clubs in Europe.  Saudi Arabia with the mega cash have not been ruled out completely from the race to sign the 24-year-old forward.

Osimhen’s current deal will be up in the summer of 2025 and Napoli would command a fee that would exceed Chelsea‘s club-record £115m outlay on Moises Caicedo, according to 90min.com.

Amongst players thatthe Italian champions have penciled downas possible replacement in case their prized asset decides to leave includes two of Osimhen’s compatriots- Victor Boniface of Leverkusen and Montpellier’s Akor Adams.

Boniface has taken the  German Bundesliga by storm since joining Leverkusen from Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise, scoring 11 goals and laying on six assists in 17 games so far this season. The 22-year-old made his Nigeria debut in September.

Adams, on the other hand, has grabbed seven goals in 12 matches for Montpellier this term following his own summer transfer from Norwegian outfit Lillestrom. He is yet to break into a competitive Nigeria fold but has been tipped for a call-up in the near future.

Other targets on Napoli’s radar include Canada international Jonathan David, who has not lived up to his prolific standards as of yet this season, finding the net only five times in 19 Lille games, adding two assists.

Belgium striker Lois Openda is also being watched over by Napoli. The 23-year-old left Lens for RB Leipzig prior to the start of the 2023/24 season and has lived up to expectations so far with 13 goals and three assists in 20 matches for Die Roten Bullen. Openda notably grabbed a first-half brace in Leipzig’s 3-2 defeat at Manchester City in the Champions League on Tuesday.