Former sporting director of Napoli Cristiano Giuntoli said in an interview with Corriere della Sera that Victor Osimhen was the most difficult signing of his career.
Napoli succeeded in signing the Nigerian striker in the year 2020 after denying top Premier League clubs such as Tottenham Hotspur.
Victor Osimhen was highly desirable because of his achievements at Lille, where he scored 18 goals in 38 games before the Covid-19 outbreak in France affected the football season.
Napoli was eventually able to secure him for a fee in the region of €70 million, which saw Osimhen become the most expensive Nigerian player of all time.
Victor Osimhen’s Impact and Departure
As for Osimhen, he was an instant hit; he notched 26 goals in 32 matches during Napoli’s successful 2022/23 Serie A season that brought them their first league trophy in 33 seasons.
However, a string of loan transfers involving Chelsea and Al-Ahli in the summer of 2024 saw him sent on loan to Galatasaray in the 2024-25 season.
Giuntoli’s Reflections
Giuntoli was honest and acknowledged that negotiating Osimhen’s transfer was not an easy walk in the park by saying, “It took me four months to bring him to Naples.”.
He also lamented Napoli for not letting go of Osimhen earlier, where he actually said, “Perhaps he should have been sold earlier.” However, he acknowledged Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis’s business acumen: ‘Aurelio is intelligent and astute’. I owe him a lot.” Guintoli admitted via Tutto Napoli.
Clubs such as Al-Ahli and Chelsea, for example, bid for him during the summer window, but the player’s asking price was €130 million, far beyond anyone’s reach during the transfer window period.