Despite the controversy surrounding his transfer from Napoli in the summer of 2024, Victor Osimhen still seems to have a few supporters within the club......Read The Full Article>>.....Read The Full Article>>.....Read The Full Article>>
The 26-year-old striker, who left under less-than-ideal circumstances, was replaced by Romelu Lukaku following the appointment of Antonio Conte.
Lukaku, who arrived from Chelsea, has inevitably been compared to Osimhen. Whether he fails to perform or even when he racks up a good number of goals, several analysts often compare his numbers to those of Osimhen, who led the club to its first Serie A crown in 33 years during the 2022/23 season.
However, while data courtesy of Fotmob shows Lukaku is still a far cry from the lofty numbers attained by the Nigerian striker, a few pundits and media outlets often stress that he has added more to Napoli in his short stint than Osimhen.
Nonetheless, amid these widespread, and rather contrasting opinions, former Napoli defender, Fabiano Santacroce, has detailed why he prefers Osimhen to Lukaku.
Speaking in an interview captured by Tutto Napoli, the former defender detailed that he prefers Osimhen over the former Chelsea man, largely due to the fact that Napoli appeared to have found a perfect system of play with Osimhen.
Santacroce also stressed that the Nigerian forward effectively exploited the spaces in attacks while donning the blue jersey of the Neapolitan outfit. However, for Lukaku, the attacking approach seems a little less coordinated.
“With Osimhen, Napoli had found a perfect system. He exploited the spaces and attacked the area with hunger. Lukaku is very strong, but with a different game. For now, I’m holding on to Osimhen,” he said.
Indeed, Napoli, with Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia during their Scudetto-winning season, seemed like a more coherent team compared to the current setup under Conte.
However, it’s clear that the club’s hierarchy cares little about the style of play as long as they are currently sitting at the top of Serie A.
Osimhen, now on loan at Galatasaray, is expected to make a permanent move away from Napoli in the upcoming summer transfer window. Speaking on Santacroce’s comments, Nigerian football expert, Taiwo Popoola, expressed that he subtly shares the sentiment of the former defender.
“To be honest, I think I agree with the Napoli icon. I’m not taking anything away from the current Napoli side, but the team under Luciano Spalletti was a force to be reckoned with. The way they organized their attack was something to envy.
Conte’s team could obviously become that effective, but it will definitely take more than one season.”