Victor Osimhen may not have made the best of starts to his Napoli career, no thanks to injuries, but he has definitely shown enough in his few appearances for the Italian club to earn the love of former Serie A icon, Sergio Pellissier, who has so much love for the Nigerian’s all-action style of play.
Osimhen, who cost Napoli over €80 million when he moved from French side Lille last summer, has made eight appearances in both the Serie A and Europa League for Napoli, scoring twice.
The Nigerian’s goal return may be a far cry from the 18 he scored in all competitions for Lille last season, and his recent off-the-pitch troubles – attending a party while holidaying in Nigeria and returning a positive COVID-19 test upon his return to Napoli – may have done little to endear the 22-year-old to sections of the Napoli fan base.
But Chievo Verona legend Pellissier is confident it’s only a matter of time before Osimhen proves Napoli were right to have paid so much for his services.
“I like Victor Osimhen a lot,” said Pellissier during the latest instalment of ‘Arena Maradona,’ a sports broadcast hosted by Diego Maradona Jr on Radio CRC. “I see a lot of similarities to me. He likes to come deep, and fights for every ball.”
Pellissier, who formed a deadly partnership with former Nigerian forward Victor Obinna during the latter’s Chievo Verona days, then added: “For Napoli, it is very important (to have Osimhen playing that way) as it creates a lot of space for the other strikers and other midfielders to operate in.
“In my opinion, he can do very well in Italy. Andrea Petagna, however, is showing that he can replace him. He is showing a lot,” added Pellissier, referring to Napoli’s 25-year-old Italian striker, who has made 20 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring four goals.
