Napoli new boy Victor Osimhen has lauded the roles played by manager Gennaro Gattuso and club president Aurelio De Laurentiis in convincing him to move to Italy.
The Nigeria striker was reportedly linked to a number of clubs in Europe after his outstanding debut campaign in the Ligue 1 with Lille where he notched 13 goals in 27 games.
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However, before he penned a five-year deal with Napoli earlier this month, Osimhen noted the ‘father figure’ roles by Gattuso and De Laurentiis as the persuading factors for him.
“Playing for Napoli is a dream come true and [Aurelio] De Laurentiis and [Gennaro] Gattuso have welcomed me like a son,” he said during his media presentation.
“The president and the coach really wanted to sign me and spoke to me a lot before I joined.
“Both were like father figures because they gave me lots of advice.
“I decided to accept the challenge with Napoli after speaking to them. It’s not often you’re shown so much love.
“For a young player like myself, that’s vital.”
The 21-year-old joined his new teammates for training this week at their pre-season camp in Castel di Sangro.
