By Daily Sports Nigeria on January 10, 2023

Statistically, Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen is enjoying his best run for Italian Club Napoli since joining for a record fee in 2020 and there could be more to come for the player before the end of the season, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The striker became the Serie A club’s record signing after joining for an initial €50 million plus add-ons.

Osimhen has netted 10 Serie A goals in 13 appearances for Napoli this season, and his contributions, as well as others, are currently keeping the club on top of the table with 44 points from 17 matches.

In his third season with Napoli, a further look at the stats from previous season shows that the player has dwarfed his numbers from the two previous seasons, and could be on his way to setting a remarkable club record at this rate.

In just 13 appearances this season, Osimhen has scored 10 Serie A goals, equaling the total number of goals he scored in the league in his first season, (10 goals in 24 appearances), while he is four goals shy off the total number of league goals he scored last season (14 goals in 27 appearances).

Having just played about half the number of games he played in each of the previous seasons, Osimhen’s tally could well be doubled with his current 1.3 goals per game rate.

Apparently due to his form, the striker has been headlining transfer rumours since the summer, but to the surprise of many, he stayed with Napoli at the start of the season amid links with clubs like PSG, PSG, Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea.

Warding off transfer interests for the striker must be hard for Napoli, and they might as well be reaping the reward of not letting the player go, as they are on course for a first league title since the 1989/1990 season.

The last time they won the league, they set a new club record in points scored over the course of the season with 51 in 34 games and scoring 57 goals in the process.

Diego Maradona scored 16 of the side’s 57 goals that season, whilst the contributions of other players such as Careca and Gianfranco Zola gave Napoli enough of an attacking edge to claim the title.

Osihmen is proving to be the pivot for Napoli this year, and he has dependable teammates in Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Piotr Zielinski, Giovanni Simeone, Giacomo Raspadori, Hirving Lozano and Matteo Politano, who have all turned up for the club, even while Osimhen was out injured at the start of the season.

Perhaps the thirst to level up is why the Nigerian has been in superb form this season.

After responding to their first defeat of the season against Inter with a 2-0 win over Sampdoria last week, Napoli are now seven points clear of their title contenders and rivals. On Friday, the Azzurri will play against Massimiliano Allegri’s Juventus for what might be a crucial game for the title race. If Napoli avoid losing against the Bianconeri, they will definitely be the main candidates to win a historical Scudetto.

If they run a successful race, it will also be Osimhen’s first league title.

While speaking at the post-match conference after the triumph over Sampdoria, the 24-year-old goal poacher thanked Napoli manager Luciano Spalletti for his leadership role and his teammates for the victory over Sampdoria.

“First of all, congratulations to the team for their victory. We didn’t play well at San Siro against Inter, but we reacted well. It was important to start the match well. I’m happy with the goal, “ as reported by Area Napoli.

“Spalletti said I’m a leader? I thank Spalletti for the nice words, I feel like a leader, but we all have to contribute for the good of the team.”

Osimhen will be hoping to continue his fine form when the Parthenopeans host Juventus on Friday in a potentially explosive Serie A clash.

“Napoli vs Juventus will be a great challenge, we will play against a great team. Now let’s relax, then we will start thinking about that match where everyone can make a difference.”

The Nigerian forward also set a new Serie A record to become the second African player to score over 10 goals in three different Serie A seasons, after George Weah with Milan in 1995/96, 1996/97 and 1997/98 seasons.

Source Punch Ng

Posted January 10, 2023

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