Osimhen can surpass Maradona at Napoli – Pinnick hails Nigeria star

Abuja, July 26: Victor Osimhen can surpass the impact made by Diego Maradona at Napoli, according to Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president Amaju Pinnick.

Osimhen is reportedly poised to leave Ligue 1 outfit Lille for Serie A's Napoli in a transfer believed to be worth an initial €60million.

The 21-year-old Nigeria star scored 13 Ligue 1 goals in his first season with Lille, and 18 across all competitions in 2019-20.

Pinnick heaped praise on Osimhen, talking up his ability to break records initially set by Argentine great Maradona – who led Napoli to two Serie A titles, the UEFA Cup, Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana during his time in Naples.

"I think Victor Osimhen is an excellent signing for Napoli," Pinnick told Radio Kiss Kiss. "I've followed them from when they had Diego Armando Maradona. Naples is a proud city and also in football terms.

"Osimhen's a source of pride of African football. He's someone who is disciplined but focused on objectives, and if he wants something, he knows how to get it.

"He made the right decision for his career. I already believe he’ll receive the right support from the club and its fans. Napoli are the right club for him to achieve important results, and Osimhen will always give his best.

"I'll say it now: Victor will do everything possible to match and even break the records set by a legend like Maradona."

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"I talked to Victor just a few minutes ago: he's very excited about his new experience and new club," he added. "Napoli are a big name in world football. It'll be a new challenge for him and he told me: 'President, I'll make Naples proud'.

"If he gets the right support, I guarantee he'll stick to his word and make you all proud. Believe in him and he'll help the team achieve their objectives.

"I'll come to Naples next season to watch some of their games. Osimhen is young and could stay at Napoli for a long time.

"As I already said, he'll be playing for a great team and his quality justifies the investment made by Napoli, who believe in Victor's huge potential."