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By Johnny Edward.
Ex-Super Eagles players have urged Victor Osimhen to leave leaving Napoli this summer, after helping the Partenopei clinch their first Serie A title in 33 years, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Osimhen has enjoyed an outstanding campaign with Napoli scoring 27 times for the Italian side – form that has seen him linked with a summer exit with Manchester United, Chelsea, Paris Saint Germain and Bayern Munich leading the race to sign the Nigerian.
Former Eagles captain, Austin Okocha who played for Bolton and Hull City in the Premier League says playing in England should be part of Osimhen’s dream.
Earlier this season, the 24-year-old had confirmed that playing in the Premier League is his “dream”.
“It’s a league that improves players, you just have to find the right club that suits your game,” Okocha told the BBC.
“A team like Manchester City, but they’ve got (Erling) Haaland now. I think Manchester United as well might be ideal for him now because they’ve been struggling without a quality striker in recent years, Arsenal as well.
“The statistics don’t lie. For me, Osimhen is in the same bracket with (Kylian) Mbappe, Haaland and Harry Kane. For me, he is a bit underrated.”
“He is worth over a £100m at the moment.
“Strikers like him are very few in the market. If you think of how much players that have made lesser impacts are going for, a (Jack) Grealish can go for £100m. I think he deserves more.”
Jonathan Akpoborie who won 13 caps for Nigeria is of the same view.
“If he (Osimhen) wants to go forward becoming a world best striker, he has to leave Italy for England or Spain,” the 54-year-old former Hansa Rostock and Wolfsburg striker said.
“Napoli is not really a club that will be willing to sell. (They) usually make the prices of their players very high. Osimhen will not be sold for less than €100m.
“It has taken a very long time for somebody to emerge from the shadows of the Okocha’s and Nwankwo Kanu’s of our own time. We want to see a Nigerian always at the top of their game in Europe.
“If you think Haaland, Mbappe are worth £150m, £200m, I think Osimhen today is worth £100m.
“But this depends on the market, on if the club really want him.”