Victor Osimhen is once again emerging as an option for Liverpool this summer, with the Reds potentially getting the chance to gain some revenge on Napoli.
Having made a sensational start to the summer transfer window, attention will now turn to Liverpool’s next steps. Jeremie Frimpong, Florian Wirtz and Milos Kerkez have all been added, with goalkeepers Armin Pecsi and Freddie Woodman also arriving, and Arne Slot and Richard Hughes might not be done there with more than two months still to go in the window.
For the time being, the focus looks as though it will be on departures, with Jarell Quansah looking set to be the next player to make way as a move to Bayer Leverkusen beckons. But Liverpool will still have its eye on strengthening in a couple of key areas, not least up front.
Alexander Isak is the dream signing, although Liverpool would have to smash its own transfer record for the second time this summer to even bring Newcastle to the table. Alternatives could therefore be sought, with Osimhen presenting a much more viable option.
Reports have already begun to claim that Liverpool has opened dialogue with Napoli, and the Reds may already have a head start on a possible deal, considering Darwin Nunez is being linked with a move to Italy.
Osimhen is no stranger to being touted as an option for Liverpool. The Nigerian’s name has cropped up more than a few times over the years, and had things turned out differently a few years ago, he might have already established himself at Anfield.
Victor Osimhen looks almost certain to leave Napoli this summer
Victor Osimhen looks almost certain to leave Napoli this summer (Image: SSC NAPOLI/SSC NAPOLI via Getty Images.)
Back in 2020, when Michael Edwards was at the helm of Liverpool’s transfers, the Reds were said to have been in the running to sign Osimhen from Lille, where he had caught the eye with 18 goals in 38 appearances. Napoli director Cristiano Giuntoli though had other ideas.
According to his former collaborator Giandomenico Costi, Giuntoli took drastic measures in order to prevent Osimhen from getting the chance to speak to Liverpool. “The signing of Osimhen is Giuntoli’s biggest masterpiece,” Costi told Italian outlet Tuttosport (h/t Football Italia). “He [Osimhen] was locked in a hotel for three days.
“Giuntoli knew Liverpool were interested, and Jurgen Klopp had made his move, but Cristiano spoke to Osimhen in the hotel for three days until he convinced him to accept Napoli. He was full of energy. Giuntoli is a director who would call you 100 times a day. He knew Victor very well, he had even followed him at Charleroi.”
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Napoli would of course go on to secure the signing of Osimhen, with the 25-year-old scoring 76 goals in 133 appearances for the club. His relationship with Napoli has been fraught over the years though, and his time in Serie A will surely come to an end soon.
That leaves the Serie A champion in an unavoidable situation should Liverpool come calling again. There will be no locking Osimhen away this time, unless they're happy to let him walk away for nothing in 12 months' time.
And with Nunez being linked with a move in the opposite direction, the shoe is firmly on the other foot. Liverpool holds all the power in this situation, and there's not a lot Napoli would be able to do to change the dynamic.
If Osimhen is available then, as it seems he inevitably will be, it could be worth Liverpool joining the queue of suitors - especially if they can pull a Napoli and prevent one of their Premier League rivals from signing him.
An original version of this article was first published on December 23, 2024.