In a recent interview with Corriere della Sera, former Napoli sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli revealed that securing Victor Osimhen’s transfer to the Italian club was his most challenging task.
Giuntoli explained how Napoli successfully signed Osimhen, the 2015 FIFA U17 World Cup Golden Boot winner, despite fierce competition from several top Premier League clubs, including Tottenham Hotspur. The forward’s impressive performances at Lille, where he scored 18 goals in 38 matches before the 2019-2020 season was interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, attracted attention from numerous clubs.
In 2020, Napoli signed Osimhen for around 70 million euros, excluding performance-based bonuses, making him the most expensive Nigerian player ever. Osimhen lived up to expectations, netting 26 goals in 32 games and leading Napoli to their first Serie A title in 33 years in May 2023.
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Reflecting on his time at Napoli, Giuntoli told Tutto Napoli that signing Osimhen was his most difficult deal. “Maybe Victor. It took me four months to bring him to Naples,” Giuntoli admitted.
Osimhen’s transfer was highly publicized, with rumors swirling about last-minute deals to Chelsea and Al-Ahli that ultimately fell through. The 25-year-old striker eventually joined Galatasaray on loan for the 2024-2025 season after the European transfer window closed.
Giuntoli expressed his view that Napoli might have benefited from selling Osimhen earlier, but acknowledged the business acumen of Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis. “Perhaps he should have been sold earlier, but Aurelio is a smart businessman. I owe him a lot, I love him,” Giuntoli said.
Napoli reportedly placed a 130 million euro price tag on Osimhen in the summer of 2024, pricing out clubs like Al-Ahli and Chelsea from finalizing a deal.
