A former Super Eagles striker, Abubakar Balarabe has expressed confidence that Nigeria’s rave of the moment, Victor Osimhen will succeed in his new club, Napoli.
After a kind of hide and seek game that lasted for weeks, the Italian giants last Friday announced the signing of the former Lille striker for an initial €71.2 million but a further €10.1 million is guaranteed in add-ons, taking the overall fee to €81.3 million in a five year deal.
Osimhen’s move to Napoli makes him Africa and Nigeria’s most expensive player.
Before he signed the mouth-watering deal, Alex Iwobi was Nigeria’s most expensive player when he left Arsenal to join Everton for £40million.
In as much as most football stakeholders in Nigerian football have celebrated the big money move for the youngster, some are pessimistic that Oshimen may not cope with the physicality of the Italian league.
However, the former Ranchers Bees hitman in an exclusive interview with Daily Trust yesterday said the Osimhen he knows is not going to disappoint.
He said the winner of the Golden Boot at the 2015 FIFA U-17 championship in Chile is not someone who is afraid of such challenges.
“I am happy for the young man. This is a big leap in his career. I know some people are afraid that he may not perform in the Serie A but I have a different opinion. He has what is required to take Serie A by storm.
“Personally, I don’t think the Italian league is tougher than Ligue 1. In Serie A, there are usually spaces for strikers to exploit. The French league is more compact,” he explained.
Balarabe, however, advised Osimhen to keep up the hard work and dedication that have taken him to the present height in his career.
He maintained that if Osimhen avoids complacency, Napoli would become a stepping stone for him.
“We are celebrating him but he must not get carried away. It is hard work that has taken him to one of the biggest clubs in the world.
“Instead of resting on his oars, he must redouble his efforts. If he refuses to be distracted by his fame and wealth, he will go places,” said Balarabe.
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