THISDAY

New Napoli Boss Praises Osimhen’s Qualities

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The former AS Roma manager was unveiled on Thursday in Naples, and he has revealed his high regard for the Nigerian internatio­nal

New Napoli boss Luciano Spalletti has spoken highly of VictorOsim­henwhilehi­ghlighting the unique characteri­stics of the club’s record signing.

Osimhen has been under the focus of fans and lovers of Napoli after a debut season that left much to be desired.

The Nigerian forward scored 10SerieAgo­alsafterco­mpleting a multi-million euro move from

French side Lille.

Still, his output could have been considerab­ly more if he had not been out of action for three months.

While Gennaro Gattuso did his bit to help Osimhen settle downinItal­y,Spallettii­stheman believed to possess the Midas touch that can turn him into a world-class attacker.

And the veteran tactician has revealed that he is impressed with the youngster’s strength, aggressive­ness, pace, willingnes­s to press opposing defenders, and ability to stick the ball in the back of the net.

And at the press conference held for his unveiling, Spalletti expressed the confidence that Napoli will enjoy an excellent campaign with the Super Eagles star in the squad.

“I don’t see why we shouldn’t do well with the current squad; Osimhen falls into this discourse,” Spalletti said as per Tutto Napoli.

“He attacks the depth; he has excellent qualities in the spaces.

“He knows how to score, helps the team, covers the spaces, and does not leave them to others.

“He is a strong one like Mertens, Petagna.”

Osimhen continues to be linked with a move away from Napoli, with Tottenham reportedly eyeing him as a potential replacemen­t for Harry Kane, should the English man leave the club.

But the 22-year-old is keen to remain in Italy, and Napoli are already looking to insert a hefty buyout clause in his contract to discourage admiring suitors.

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