Victor Osimhen reiterates desire to remain at Napoli amid Premier League interest
By Tom Gott
Napoli striker Victor Osimhen has stressed that he is not interested in rumours of a possible transfer to the Premier League this summer.
The 23-year-old bagged 14 goals in 27 Serie A games last season, earning a reputation as one of the more intriguing young strikers around, and a number of sides across Europe have been keeping a close eye on Osimhen.
This summer, Osimhen has found himself linked to the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham and Newcastle United, while Manchester United and Chelsea have also been credited with interest in the Nigerian in the past.
However, he has always stressed his desire to stay at Napoli and made it clear during a recent interview with Corriere dello Sport that nothing has changed from his perspective.
“I’m at Napoli and I have great respect for my club. These are just market rumours, I’m happy here and I’ve never had such close relations with everyone as I do right now.
“I spoke with President De Laurentiis, he is the one who decides, and he reassured me by explaining the club’s plans.
“I’m happy with what he told me and the signings are quality, words have been followed by deeds. I’m very happy to play with Napoli and in the future we’ll see.”
He continued: “I have experienced very difficult moments, even private ones, but Napoli has always been close to me and that is one of the reasons I am here. I’m happy, I’m in a beautiful city and a wonderful club.
“Naples is one of the best places to be a footballer: [Diego] Maradona played here, the best ever, I consider it a privilege and a great honour to play in the stadium named after him.”
However, Osimhen did confess that English football holds a special place in his heart as it has played host to a number of his favourite players.
"[Didier] Drogba is my idol, my inspiration, he has always motivated me to become who I am and one day I hope to get close to him," he added.
“Today I am also inspired by Harry Kane, but there are many strikers around that I like and can learn something from.”