Victor Osimhen has been sidelined by Napoli after the team he fired to Serie A glory just a over year ago left him both off their squad list for the 2024/25 campaign and potentially in season-long limbo.
The futures of Napoli striker Victor Osimhen and England international Ivan Toney are set to dominate the final day of the European transfer window on Friday as Chelsea continue their frenzied pursuit of new signings.
Nigeria forward Osimhen rolled home the leveller with 15 minutes left of the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, in his first match since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations.
"Those who know me, they know I don't put myself before the team. If my goal comes, they come," said Osimhen.
Many of the biggest stars at this year's Africa Cup of Nations have already been eliminated before the quarter-finals, but the continent's reigning player of the year Victor Osimhen is still standing as he aims to lead Nigeria to the title.
Nigeria coach Jose Peseiro hailed "fantastic" Victor Osimhen for the African footballer of the year's tireless performance as the Super Eagles beat Cameroon 2-0 at the Africa Cup of Nations on Saturday.
Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen will leave Napoli this summer and join "either Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain or an English club", the Italian club's president and owner Aurelio De Laurentiis said on Friday.
Osimhen is fresh from signing a new contract at Napoli
"I want to win the AFCON with my country and write my own legacy," Osimhen told Al Jazeera recently
"They roared us on from the first whistle to the last. The noise they created was deafening. but we let them down and that hurt. Nigerians deserved better."
Sadio Mane's Senegal are aiming to retain their title and Mohamed Salah is chasing a first trophy with Egypt at this year's Africa Cup of Nations, which begins in Ivory Coast on January 13.
Osimhen, who led Napoli to win the Italian League title last season, beat Paris Saint-Germain's Morocco right-back, Achraf Hakimi and Liverpool's Egypt winger, Mohamed Salah, to win the top award.
Victor Osimhen netted his third goal of the season from the penalty spot 15 minutes into Napoli's first home match since lifting the league title in front of their fans for the third time back in June.
The 24-year-old is now the highest scoring African player in the history of Serie A after overtaking George Weah and lapped up the applause of Napoli fans as the team did their post-match lap of honour
Serie A leaders Napoli thrashed Torino 4-0 away with a double from Victor Oshimen and goals from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Tanguy Ndombele on Sunday to move closer to the title.
Napoli forward Victor Osimhen struck either side of the break to steer the Italians to a comfortable 3-0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday and into the Champions League quarterfinals for the first time.
Napoli striker Victor Osimhen says if he leads the club to first Serie A title in more than 30 years, he will become a club "icon", but he would not be able to reach the status of late Argentine great Diego Maradona.
Serie A title fever is sweeping Naples as the football-mad city hopes that rampant Napoli will end more than three decades of waiting to be crowned kings of Italy.
Dazzling duo Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia have Napoli dreaming after starring in a five-goal massacre of Juventus which made them clear favourites to claim a first Serie A title in over three decades.
