By Johnny Edward
Former Napoli defender, Gennaro Scarlato, admits that Victor Osimhen will be crucial to Napoli winning the Serie A title this season, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The 45-year-old former defender who made 78 appearances and scored four times for the Partenopei adds that Osimhen the Nigerian striker has become a crucial voice in Napoli’s dressing room.
Napoli enjoyed a magnificent first half of the 2022-23 season, sitting eight points clear at the summit of Serie A having qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League as group winners with a marvelous campaign that included big wins over Liverpool, Ajax and Rangers.
“It is normal that when there are six to seven important players in a team, the important voice becomes that of the coach, in this case Spalletti,” Scarlato told Napoli Magazine.
“Osimhen is crucial. I thought that after his injury he would find less space but instead he immediately regained his place, showing everyone his strength. He will be key to Napoli winning the Scudetto. In the Champions League group stage, Napoli was the best.”
Osimhen has nine goals in 11 Serie A appearances so far this term and is determined to help Napoli deliver silverware this season, having not won the league since 1990.
But the 23-year-old suggests he could consider his options in the summer, particularly in Napoli fail to get the job done this term.
“It’s one of the best clubs in Europe and I want to win here,” Osimhen told Il Mattino.
“The future is this moment, to try and win something relevant in Italy. It’s hard to think about something better than Napoli, one of the best clubs in Italy, right now I am only focused on this season because we haven’t done anything yet. We must win something and then we’ll see what happens.”
The Nigeria international is Napoli’s club record signing having joined from Lille in 2020 for €80m and has a contract until 2025.
Source: The Punch
