The Napoli striker was labeled a promising young player from the time he burst onto the scene in Germany with Wolfsburg and then maintained to grow in France with Lille.
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The rise of Victor Osimhen’s journey from a talented prospect to being touted as the most desirable young striker in Europe is a testament to the player’s progress. The Napoli striker was labeled a promising young player from the time he burst onto the scene in Germany with Wolfsburg and then maintained to grow in France with Lille before joining the Italians in 2020. In that window, many teams were interested in getting his signature but Napoli won the race. This shows how the Nigerian centre-forward has always been recognised as a promising young player.
Two years later, his stock has only increased. Osimhen was voted as the U23 Best Young Player in Serie A for the 2021-22 season. “Goals, goals, goals. A young striker with the experience of a veteran @victorosimhen9 is the best U23 of this Serie A,” Lega Serie A wrote on their official Twitter page. This award is no easy thing to achieve for a player, especially considering the talented list of stars he had to beat to win it. Osimhen, AC Milan forward Rafael Leao and Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic were the hottest young strikers in Italy this season. Sassuolo’s duo of Gianluca Scamacca and Giacomo Raspadori were also not far behind.
❇️ Goals, goals, goals. A young striker with the experience of a veteran: @victorosimhen9 is the best Under-23 of this #SerieA?@en_sscnapoli #WeAreCalcio pic.twitter.com/IaAYSAQYb6
— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) May 20, 2022
To win the award, beating all these talented young players shows how much Osimhen has developed. He has scored 14 goals in 26 Serie A matches this season. In 23 of those matches, he has started and came on as a substitute on three more occasions. Overall this season he has scored 18 goals in 31 matches in all competitions. In these two years, he has found the net 28 times in 61 matches across all competitions. Keeping this into account, the number of goals he has scored is quite promising. No wonder the giants of Europe are keen to sign him.
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There are quite a few teams linked with the Nigerian in recent weeks. Arsenal and Manchester United are those among them who have been constantly linked with a move for the 23-year-old centre-forward. The Gunners’ massive £76 million bid for the youngster has been turned down by Napoli, according to Italian outlet Calciomercato. Arsenal are keen to bring a centre-forward this summer and Osimhen is believed to be a perfect fit.
Besides, the Gunners were also reportedly interested in signing Manchester City forward Gabriel Jesus. It is not clear at this point whether they want to sign one or two strikers in the upcoming window. Besides, Manchester United – under the new era of Erik ten Hag – will also need a striker this summer. Quite a few names are linked with a move to Old Trafford and Osimhen is reported to be one of them. The youngster’s growth and performances this season indicate a bright future for him, but it is not clear which team will be able to price him away from Napoli this summer.
