Victor Osimhen’s agent William D’Avila believes the managerial change at Napoli will help his client thrive in his second Serie A season. The Nigeria international experienced a somewhat torrid maiden campaign at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona under Gennaro Gattuso.
Osimhen joined Napoli from Lille last summer for a club-record fee of €70million, becoming the most expensive African player in the process. During his first year in Italy, the highly-rated striker netted just ten goals in 24 Serie A appearances, owing to the coronavirus and several injury issues.
However, the 22-year-old’s entourage expects Osimhen to showcase his true potential in 2021/22 under Luciano Spalletti. The former Roma and Inter Milan coach replaced Gattuso in the dugout on Saturday, returning to the realm of management following a year-and-a-half hiatus.
D’Avila, who is of the opinion the new manager will get the most out of his client, reflected on Napoli’s Matchday 38 heartache. The Partenopei were in the driving seat in a keenly-contested Serie A top-four race heading into the season finale.
But a shocking 1-1 home draw with Hellas Verona saw AC Milan and Juventus secure Champions League qualification at the expense of Gattuso’s men. There’s a genuine feeling that Napoli’s fiasco on the final day of the season eventually cost the 43-year-old his job.
“It will be great for the team to have a top coach like him [Spalleti]. 4-2-3-1 will be the formation, and Victor will be the offensive force,” D’Avilla told KissKissNapoli.
“Champions League? He is disappointed with the lack of qualification, but the Europa League is a prestigious tournament. It was incredible. Victor was sure they would beat Verona. I don’t know what happened during the game.
“He is in Nigeria with his family and will then join the national team for two friendlies before going on vacation.“