Former Napoli and Lazio striker, Bruno Giordano, has questioned his former side’s €80m signing of Nigerian striker, Victor Osimhen.
Osimhen switched to Naples in the summer of 2020 for a club-record fee but has failed to hit the ground running having suffered injury setbacks as well as COVID-19 infection and suspension.
The transfer fee makes him the most expensive African footballer ever.
Giordano, who played for Napoli between 1985 and 1988, scoring 23 goals in 78 appearances, said it was illogical for Osimhen to be more expensive than the highly sought-after Borussia Dortmund striker, Erling Haaland.
“I don’t know if the Nigerian is worth so much. I know that Haaland at Borussia costs less and so it is logical that the square should question itself given the high expectations surrounding Victor, who is only 22 years old,” Giordano told spazionapoli.it.
Despite his displeasure at the player’s price tag, the former Crotone manager says he is fond of the Nigerian and the qualities he brings to the squad.
“He has different characteristics from the other Napoli strikers and this season his growth has been held back by all the injuries he has had,” he said.
Osimhen has now scored five goals in 22 appearances across all competitions in the 2020-21 campaign, including Napoli’s second on Sunday against Sampdoria.
The forward will hope to add to that tally when Napoli square off against Inter Milan in their next league game on April 18.
