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Is Napoli the right destination for in-demand Osimhen?
Solace Chukwu | Correspondent

https://images.daznservices.com/di/library/GOAL/94/32/victor-osimhen_1mxukc9c5kwtu1t27kps66d6ex.jpg

It now seems inevitable that the Nigeria international will move to Naples this summer, but it is by no means certain it is the right destination
You would have received long odds on the first real transfer saga of the summer involving a Nigerian player...but here we are.

There is one thing that is known about Victor Osimhen for sure. He will not begin the 2020/21 season with Lille, or in Ligue 1 for that matter. Les Dogues have a model that is hinged on buying low and selling high, and have reportedly begun to plan for a future without their sought-after number nine.

Where will he play then?

At this time, Napoli hold the best hand. They received Osimhen in Naples last week, ostensibly to hammer out personal terms, but as part of a charm offensive. Being a showbiz man, president Aurelio De Laurentiis knows a thing or two about entertaining in style.

And yet, doubts remain. Not least for the player himself, who has previously expressed admiration for Chelsea, and is reportedly holding out for interest from the Premier League.

Tottenham Hotspur enquired, but were rebuffed in the understanding that, with Harry Kane as club captain and first-choice centre-forward, playing opportunities would be scant. The truth, heartbreaking as it might be for Osimhen, is that none of England's top sides have a pressing need for a starting striker.

As such, it seems only a matter of time before the transfer to Napoli finally gets over the line.

That logically leads to the next consideration: just how good a move is it?

Well, it depends on what the indices are. In terms of history, Napoli is very attractive, both as a home and a launch pad for a number of great players down the years. Diego Maradona is the most obvious one, but even narrowing it down to just strikers – Careca, Edinson Cavani, Gonzalo Higuain, Dries Mertens – leads one to conclude there is a fine tradition there into which Osimhen can immerse himself.

The club's profile in Europe is also very respectable. Per Uefa's club coefficient, they are ranked 16th in Europe—just outside the true elite, but still one of the heavyweights. Make no mistake, there will be pressure at a club of this level, but perhaps not the cloying, intrusive kind that is characteristic of the likes of Barcelona and Manchester United, for instance.

Napoli is also a club that has shown a willingness to embrace its own. All the aforementioned forwards mentioned have enjoyed almost godlike adulation in Naples, and Osimhen's earnest play, work rate and humility would no doubt endear him to the Neapolitan crowd. "He will become their superstar," Lille president Gerard Lopez told La Voix De Nord.

That is not to say it is all positive, of course.

Despite a revival under Gennaro Gattuso, the club will not be playing Champions League football in 2020/21. That is far from a deal breaker, but it is an important stage for the very best players in Europe, and one on which Osimhen already excelled with a callow Lille side last year. In that sense, and that sense alone, the Europa League (if they qualify for that) would represent a real step down.

There is also a concern over the continued viability of the Napoli project.

For all his good work so far, it is simply impossible to accurately parse Gattuso's influence on the actual mechanics of the team's play. Sure, he has made them grittier and more solid defensively, and there seems a real calcification of their overall mental approach to the game.

That said, a lot of the play still draws heavily on the influence of former manager Maurizio Sarri. The combinations are not as crisp, of course, but the muscle memory remains, as does the system.

What happens when that wears out?

The timeline for this is short too, as a rebuild is afoot at Stadio San Paolo. The likes of Jose Callejon, Kalidou Koulibaly and Allan are set to depart; all were stalwarts under Sarri, steeped in his ways. Beyond the concomitant instability that is associated with the process of a rebuild, this drain could expose Gattuso's lack of an attacking strategy even more.

A look at the Expected Goals numbers for Serie A is revealing: Napoli have an xG of 49.9, a tally only good enough for sixth in the league. With few(er) chances created comes greater pressure on the centre-forward to be perfect, hardly an optimal situation for a young striker still learning his craft and figuring out how to best utilize his admittedly considerable gifts.

It is a potentially precarious situation into which Osimhen would be walking. However, the 21-year-old is nothing if not resilient; so far in his career, he has shown the capacity to rise to the level required, and the aptitude to learn quickly. As Lopez said, "Victor has the strength to perform under pressure."

It is a strength he will need to summon if he is to succeed in Italy. For all that Napoli are enamored with him now, there are enough caveats that suggest it might not be plain sailing all the way through.

--GOAL

A take from one of the other sides. Maybe we can learn one or two things from here.

---

Young, black and Irish - the generation ready to rise
By Anthony Pyne | RTÉ Sport journalist

Chiedoze Ogbene's declaration for the Republic of Ireland is a cause for celebration - and not just because the 23-year-old's career is on an upward curve that looks likely to keep rising.

Ogbene is the third player to publicly air their desire to represent Ireland over Nigeria in the last two years, following in the footsteps of Michael Obafemi and Jonathan Afolabi.

There's a slew of footballers currently blossoming in our underage ranks who have the same ancestry.

Centre-half Andrew Omobamidele, currently at Norwich City, was born in Dublin. His mother is from Cork and his father is Nigerian. He graduated from an excellent Leixlip United side that produced two other Ireland Under-18 internationals - goalkeeper Harry Halwax, currently of Derby County, and winger Josh Giurgi, who's also at Norwich.

At Carrow Road, he can take inspiration from Republic of Ireland Under-21 striker Adam Idah, born in Cork to an Irish mother and a Nigerian father, and currently on the fringes of the Canaries first team.

Ireland Under-19s full-back Festy Ebosele is also making progress at Derby. His dad Fustas moved to Enniscorthy from Nigeria in 2000. He told the Gorey Guardian that his son has been "football mad since he first started playing the Moyne Rangers when he was around eight". Now he's trying to catch the eye of former Barcelona star Philip Cocu.

Gavin Bazunu was a sensation at Shamrock Rovers, his displays enticing Manchester City to make a swoop for the keeper when he was just 16.

When he made his debut for City's Under-18s against Stoke in 2019, Bazunu lined up alongside Timi Sobowale. Both were born and raised here and have played for Ireland Under-19s; both are also eligible to play for Nigeria, with the Golden Eagles particularly keen on Bazunu.

The list goes on and on - a generation of Irishmen whose parents came to this country in the 90s/early noughties for a new life, kids who've grown up here, honed their sporting excellence to now find themselves with extra international options given their heritage.

Not that the players themselves are overcomplicating matters.

They are, as Obafemi put it, "all in".

"I knew that I was going to choose Ireland, but obviously everyone from the outside was bringing England and Nigeria into it, but I don't think I was ever going to choose any of the other ones," the Southampton attacker told RTÉ Sport last year. "I was born in Ireland so I don't see a reason why I should play for England or Nigeria."

Celtic frontman Afolabi was similarly emphatic. "I've grown up in Ireland," he told the42 last summer. "I know where I'm from is Tallaght in Dublin. I’ve spoken to my parents. My ma doesn’t know much about football. She wants me play for Nigeria, because it’s her home country. But I’ve been playing with Ireland for a long time and want to keep that going. That’s the way I see it."

It all seems like much ado about nothing to the footballers themselves and that in itself is a testament to a lot of the work done at grassroots level over the last 15 years.

Des Tomlinson is the FAI's National Co‑ordinator for the Intercultural Structural Programme.

He's been working in the role since 2007, which was, he says, "a period of peak inward migration in Ireland, when it changed from being quite monocultural to one that's more pluralistic in terms of people's background and so on".

Tomlinson classes himself as being London-Jamaican. "That recognises my Jamaican heritage, and I was born in London. My parents migrated to the UK in the 60s. I understand the process [of integration]. When you do have a sense of that it does help."

Over the last 13 years he's seen Ireland change and been at the forefront of efforts to enable black Irish children to embed themselves in their communities through football.

"The strategy that was put together, it was about making a conscious effort to support the process of integration through football," he says when reflecting on the progress made since '07.

"Integration is a two-way thing. It was about reaching out.

"We'd try to establish creative partners or link up with community activists that would have connections into groups. That's one way of doing it. Another way of doing it is through programmes. We have an after-school programme that runs for six weeks, and after that it links people into a club, for the club to run an open day or some action that engages people.

"Some clubs would have been doing that organically themselves. Our role is to try and support that. It's a combination of strategic stuff nationally and some things that are more organic.

"Things happen because of programmes, programmes play a part, but also affiliates on the ground, where they're doing stuff organically. I'd definitely take some pride in the fact programmes have been able to try and help that process.

"At the same time I'm not positioning that as something that's just done by a programme. Our affiliates, the ones who are in diverse areas and can see the value in inclusion, play a massive role as well."

Brian Killoran, CEO Immigrant Council of Ireland, further emphasises that point.

"Integration happens in local communities," he stresses.

"It's the type of thing that happens in housing estates, in towns, in villages across the country. Any opportunity that exists for people in a local community to get to know each other is a massive advantage.

"Sport is one of the biggest things you can do from an integration perspective because it's such a great uniter at local level.

"Young people whose parents were migrants see themselves as being as Irish as the next kid. They're joining sports clubs and coming up the ranks, using sport as a method to get to know their peers, with the parents also using the clubs as an opportunity to get to know the community around them - it's such a residual hub, a brilliant place for integration to happen. It's a crucial element of it."

We are on the precipice of a generation of black Irish sportspeople taking prominence on an international stage - in soccer and track and field particularly.

This generation represents a new Ireland, a cosmopolitan and diverse country. They've also been brave enough to speak out about problems they've encountered along the way...

--RTE Sport

anyway it shows character.. but insults na norm here.

Blueelf:
For throwing insults at another??

Why u dey apologize?

Blueelf:
Bro, you know I hardly even go there even when I am insulted, I display calmness

But he started it

I apologize to the entire thread, It was unlike me

cc thesupernerd, komekn, thegoodjoe, edopesin, subzero etc

I mention he name?

andrewbaba44:
You guys should stop mentioning bench warmers here Abeg

I remember most of you mocking azubuike and Anthony ujah yet dem Dey play ball

you mean his bench game?

andrewbaba44:
How is nwakali game ?

Omoruyi is 20. Not too young

modified
well, 19.

ChrisKels:
With two Nigerians on the bench.

Nwakali and little known young forward, Kevin Omoruyi

Watching Huesca VS Alcorcon.
it's 2-1. Huesca leading

Top Rated Players in the Championship
Sources:
1. WhoScored
2. SofaScore

Top Interceptions and Top Tackles per game, in the EPL (SofaScore)

oh boy!!!

Saka good sha

Edopesin:
Saka with the assist

These players be shutting their Nairaland haters

Auba is something else

Heard Ndidi whispering to Saka, "would you come play for us?"

vardy for lay that pass for KC

andrewbaba44:
You can only hate because he didn’t play for naija

Tammy has had a good season

I can’t wait to see the tears on your face when bukayo saka will turn you down

E go come turn to hate just as Tammy

I don't get the point trying to prove that there were always slaves before blacks.

elunico:
What is this one even saying?

LOL

Edopesin:
Haters and Bitter leaf soup merchants are no where to be found

Agreed!!!

komekn:
In this regard Nigerians are shallow and shamelessy bigoted with unapologetic double standards.

There are people who are third and even fourth generation born in Lagos. But somehow they are not considered indegenes of Lagos and should not contest election in Lagos state.

If we are to follow the views of tribalists.

Obama is an African that became president of the USA.

Federal capital territory seems to have an unspoken convention you must be from the North to contest election.

And the slaves in other eras just sat back and accepted their fate.

elunico:
Thank you for dropping this snippet.

We simply don't read, reason why we allow the mischievous enough power to sow all sorts of narratives into our subconscious, we then take it as truth, mumble it as hard facts and die in ignorance while they reap off our gullibility.

When ever slavery is mentioned, the picture that comes to our mind is black people in chains with a white slave master with whips on their backs, but, that is just a little bit of era of slavery.

The feeling of superiority is a form of hate. One can marry someone and still be racist to that person.

Edopesin:
At the 1st bolded, Not all Racists necessarily hate and that's why I say it's different cause we've seen instances where a white person marry a black person and be racist to other blacks... And I don't think anyone would marry who they hated.

And as you've pointed out in the second bolded, Equality is all there should be but when the system tends to be biased in this sense with the fact that some of these people in power to change the rules are actually Racists themselves

Racism is no different. The underlying thing is hate. And once u hate anyone for any reason you can do anything to them or deprive them of anything. But systematic racism is on an established level. I think that’s the main thing people are fighting against. You cannot fight that some individual should love you regardless of your race etc, but you can fight the system for equality in treatment.

Edopesin:
It's one thing to be mean to your slaves and it's another thing to be racist i.e the feeling of superiority over other race, that's the issue here.... A white supremacist might not necessarily be mean but he definitely is racist

You cannot use these scenarios you wrote in that sense as it doesn't define racism which is more than being mean

As long as he is okay with that. Competition is good.

jihday:
He's not bad, I believe they can use him as a back up to Werner or any elite striker they get

joins in laughter

jihday:
Guyyyyyyy

lol.. let him go back to the championship.

jihday:
Chelsea fans have been dragging Tammy, most don't even want to see him again

It doesn't matter as long as he comes good for us. Hopefully we get his competition early enough just in case.

Afobear:
When I preach to them , they Harden their hearts like they did in the Rebellion. And on that day , I wander in the desert and took an oath in my Anger that never shall they enter my rest.

Igbekeme has joined ur boy, cleaning the bench. Since my simple factual report pains you, let me make it subtle.

[quote author=ChrisKels post=91455427][/quote]

they have not won one game at home since the resumption of the league. have they even got a point at home? I doubt but they can win away. maybe no more home advantage. Thanks to uncle coro.

sandrapretty:
can u imagine losing 1-3 at home.
I almost chose them but na God save me

Zaragoza can't even win at home.. dunce club!

I do. I treat all tribes the same way.
I've come across many successful blacks. It depends on who you roll with.
When people talk about blacks they only think of those in the slums.

seankafor:
guy do you treat Fulani amajiri the same way you treat your business partners from other regions?

Believe it or not blacks are at the lower chamber of the race food chain no sugarcoating in this..

I hope I rest my case here.. I don't wanna derail Futher.