Victor Osimhen has continued to earn plaudits for his eye-catching performance for Napoli this season, with former Italy midfielder Walter Sabatini boldly stating that he would choose the Nigerian ahead of France forward Kylian Mbappe.
Osimhen and Mbappe, both 22, have been influential for their respective teams this campaign.
While Mbappe has scored six goals and managed eight assists in the 13 matches played for PSG, Osimhen has nine goals and an assist in 10 Napoli games.
“If I were to pick one of them, I would go for Osimhen,” Sabatini said as quoted by Football Italia.
“He is unstoppable because he can run onto seemingly impossible balls and make them count. Right now, I would choose Osimhen,” he added.
The 66-year-old’s sentiments were echoed by Napoli Coach Luciano Spalletti, who insisted that he would also stick with his striker if he was to choose between the two.
“I agree with what he [Sabatini] said and I have always thought that,” the tactician stated.
Mbappe was signed by PSG from AS Monaco in 2018 at €145 million, while the Naples-based outfit signed Osimhen from Lille for €70 million plus bonuses.
Recently, Spalletti referred to Osimhen as a great professional who is eager to learn after coming off the bench to score in a 3-0 Europa League win over Legia Warsaw on Thursday.
“He [Osimhen] is accustomed to galloping in wide-open spaces, so coming back to get the ball or support his teammate and then make the run are things he is still learning.
“He’s a great professional, a lovely guy who is eager to learn and improve. His teammates adore him, he wants to be with them all the time and we’re very fortunate to have him.
“When you have so many attacking players, we can seek variations and try new ways to break down the opposition. With Osimhen, Mertens, and Insigne on the field, it becomes easier to find that moment of magic.
“We maintained the balance anyway, Elmas worked so hard, and when you have this attitude in your players, it becomes simple for a coach.
“I am very happy, I think it’s difficult to play better than we did tonight. At least the players gave a response to anyone suggesting Napoli don’t care about the Europa League,” the manager said.
On Sunday evening, Osimhen is expected to lead his team’s attack against AS Roma in a Serie A match.
