Thierry Henry urges Victor Osimhen to leave Napoli for bigger challenge

By Wale Mustapha

UEFA Champions League legend, Thierry Henry has advised Nigerian striker, Victor Osimhen to leave Napoli this summer and move to elsewhere to prove his worth as a true lethal striker.

Osimhen helped Napoli won the Italian Serie A last season after over three decades and also ended the season as the league top scorer with 26 goals.

The 25 year old picked eighth position in the 2023 Balon D’ Or list and wrapped it up by winning the African Footballer of the Year award.

Due to injuries, Osimhen has not been able to repeat his last season’s performance reducing his game times with just nine goals and three assists to his credit in all competitions.

He returned to action for Napoli in the UEFA Champions League after representing Nigeria at the just concluded Africa Cup of Nations and was again the team’s savior as he scored the equalizer in the 1-1 draw against Barcelona.

Henry, who won the Champions League with Barcelona in 2009 described Osimhen as exceptional striker who still has much to offer the game but needed change of environment to prove that.

“I think he needed the goal today, at the AFCON, we saw him, he can lead the line, run into the channels, and has excellent hold-up play. How good can he be?,” the France U21 coach told CBS Sports.

“He showed last year what he could do and won the African Player of the Year along the way, winning the Scudetto with Napoli and getting to the final with Nigeria.

“I’d like to see him now, what he can do in the Premier League or wherever he’s gonna go or Paris Saint-Germain. Not Arsenal, I won’t go there.

“I want to see him take the next step and be more consistent with his output, but to be able to win the title with Napoli the way he did will stay in history forever, so all the best to him in his career.”

Osimhen is expected to lead the line for the Partenopei when they travel to Barcelona for the return leg in March.