A startling admission by Catalan newspaper El Nacional has revealed that Real Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane had recommended a certain Napoli star to president Florentino Perez, when he was valued at less than €5m.
The player being discussed is Nigerian marksman Victor Osimhen.
Osimhen was signed by Napoli from Lille for a whopping €70m transfer tag, making him the most expensive African player to date. The striker’s value rose exponentially during his one-season stint with Lille, when he banged in 18 goals in 38 appearances for Les Dogues.
Zidane is said to have closely followed the development of Osimhen, who he believed would be a world-class striker down the lane. However, the French legend’s recommendation few years ago was turned down by Los Blancos president Perez.
Having become Napoli’s record signing in 2020, Osimhen was initially burdened with expectations and it reflected in his first-season performances with the Partenopei – scoring 10 goals in 30 appearances.
Nevertheless, this season has been a completely different story for the 23-year-old, as he has already managed to knock in 9 goals and provide 2 assists in only 14 games. Injuries and suspensions have barred him from displaying his full potential but it would not be an overstatement to say that he is one of Europe’s hottest prospects.
Real Madrid had the chance to grab him for as low as €3.5m from Wolfsburg. Napoli have now stamped their price tag on the ex-Lille player, valuing him at nothing less than €80m.
Chelsea, Manchester City and Bayern Munich are also closely following the Nigerian, who is now beginning to bear fruit for the Italians. He has a contract valid in Naples until June 2025.