Luciano Spalletti is keen to get the best out of Victor Osimhen as the spearhead of Napoli’s attack
Napoli manager Luciano Spalletti has revealed that he is in awe of the huge talent that Super Eagles forward Victor Osimhen possesses and the future the striker can have in the game.
Spalletti compared the 23-year-old to Senegalese defender Kalidou Koulibaly but stated that if Koulibaly was ‘scary’ then Osimhen is ‘stratospheric.’
Spalletti believes Osimhen can achieve more than Koulibaly with Napoli
In an interview with the Napoli official radio station, Kiss Kiss Napoli, the Italian manager stated that he is excited about what the former Lille striker can become.
Spalletti said: “Osimhen? If Koulibaly is scary, he is stratospheric. I don’t understand how far he can get, but the thought of what he can become excites me.
The future possibilities make me curious. He must understand where he can get to in the future.”
He showed his quality against Barcelona – Spalletti on Osimhen
The former Inter Milan manager highlighted Osimhen’s performance against Barcelona in the Europa League on Thursday as a glimpse of what Osimhen can do with his darting runs and good movement.
“In Barcelona, he showed that he has the physicality to put the defense of the opponent in difficulty,” Spalletti explained.
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You saw him in the last game go on those 40m runs, taking all the opposing defense with him and then missing the cross.
“He is close enough to execute those brushstrokes, but he must first convince himself he can do it. He can also do other things besides the runs.”
Napoli players need to play at Osimhen’s level
The Napoli manager again challenged Osimhen’s Napoli teammates to level up to the kind of service that the striker would need.
Spalletti had earlier said Napoli players need to play to Osimhen’s strengths by playing quicker balls to him to run behind defenders.
The Italian manager reiterated: “His companions must also learn to live up to a player like this, follow his way of playing.
Playing with players like Osimhen, Koulibaly, Insigne, and Fabian mean being ready. When you play with these enormous talents you are a bit doomed to improve if you want to survive.”
Osimhen has scored 10 goals and made three assists in 19 appearances for Napoli this season in all competitions.
The Super Eagles forward will be hoping to add to his goal tally when Napoli travels to Cagliari tomorrow as they engage in a three-way title battle for the Serie A with Inter Milan and AC Milan.
