Page 49 - Soccer360 Issue 104

Victor Osimhen has made no secret of the fact he idolises Chelsea legend Didier Drogba
Osimhen
is gaining interest from Chelsea
Cagliari coach Claudio Ranieri
Napoli’s head coach Walter Mazzarri watches on
UNBEATEN!
Walter Mazzarri is unbeaten in his first match in charge in all seven of his spells at a club in Serie A (W5 D2).
A TWO IN ONE DEAL
Claudio Ranieri reached 2 milestones in Cagliari-Monza: 450th match as manager in
Serie A, and 700 points gained as manager in Serie A.
TEN SEASONS AGO
The last time Lazio have picked up only 17 points in the first 13 Serie A seasonal games was in 2013/14.
100 GOALS AWAY FROM HOME
Ciro Immobile is the first Serie A player to reach 100 away goals in the competition.
Napoli owner had been misquoted and it was wrong to suggest a frosty relationship between the club and player.
The Partenopei faltered again with Osimhen absent as they fell to a shocking home defeat against lowly Empoli in November, a loss which ultimately cost Garcia his job. Despite the turmoil the only way the Nigerian will follow him out the exit door is if De Laurentiis receives an offer he can’t refuse in the January window.
Of all his potential suitors Chelsea hold a couple of trump cards.
The striker idolised Stamford Bridge legend Didier Drogba and owned a Chelsea shirt as a youngster.
Blues co-owner Todd Boehly has a track record of forking out huge sums on players and won’t be put off by Osimhen’s $160m valuation.
While the towering forward confirmed he is content at Napoli in an unlikely interview with former Italy striker Mario Balotelli, doubts persist if he will remain in Italy long term.
Osimhen ruled out a move to Saudi Arabia, and said he would rather opt for Major League Soccer in the United States than head to the Middle East. Then on the Obi One podcast, he detailed Al Hilal’s sustained attempts to lure him away, explaining
his decision to turn down the Saudi Pro League as ‘good for his career’ over the financial rewards on
offer.
The only certainty is that there won’t be any discounts offered if De Laurentiis ultimately decides to sell him before his contract runs out. The Lagos- born attacker placed eighth in the 2023 Ballon
d’Or rankings and will only improve given the right environment to flourish.
Given the events of the second half of 2023, he has a lot to ponder before making the biggest decision of his professional career.
SOCCER360 47