Juve Sporting Director recounts tough Nigerian signing

Juventus Sporting Director Cristiano Giuntoli says it took him four months to bring Victor Osimhen to Napoli from Lille in 2020 while working at the club in 2020.

Signing the 25-year-old has never been on the knife’s edge for his suitors since announcing himself as one of the world’s reputable strikers at Lille, where he notched 13 goals in 27 matches from 2019 to 2020.

Giuntoli, who outwitted other suitors to bring Osimhen to Napoli for around €75m, revealed his frustrations at the time during a chat with Corriere della Sera, adding that Napoli should have sold the African Player of the Year before he joined Galatasaray on loan.

“I can say that the most difficult transfer operation in my career was Victor Osimhen. I worked for his transfer for almost 4 months while I was working in Napoli. He should perhaps have been sold before, but Aurelio is an intelligent and astute entrepreneur. I owe him a lot; I love him,” said Giuntoli.

The Nigerian was the Neapolitan hero who, together with Kvaratskhelia, made the entire square dream with the victory of the club’s third Scudetto, the first in over three decades.

After four eventful and fruitful seasons, which saw the player cart home the Serie A top scorer’s award with 26 goals in the penultimate season, both parties have parted ways, not in the best of ways with the attacker rejecting offers from England and Arabia, then accepting a loan to Galatasaray so as not to be left out of the squad until January.

Despite the complexity of the initial deal, Giuntoli’s love for Osimhen has not waned a bit, with Tuttosport recently reporting that his current employers, Juventus, are looking to bring the player to Turin any time soon, a move that predicated on Napoli significantly lowering their asking price.

Meanwhile, Osimhen is living his Galatasaray dreams, where he eagerly awaits his first goal after providing four assists in his first three matches for the Turkish Super Lig champions.

The club are quite satisfied with his performance on the pitch and conduct off it and seem bent on extending his stay at the club beyond June when his season-long loan ends.