“He would be a very good signing and could take them to the next level” Newcastle legend Alan Shearer urges Magpies to sign World Class Serie A attacker
Newcastle United failed to secure a summer move for Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, but BBC pundit and club legend Alan Shearer would love to see him at St. James’ Park in the future.
The Nigeria international’s deal isn’t set to expire until 2025, but having established himself as Rudi Garcia’s overall best-performing player last season with a WhoScored match rating of 7.45, his impressive form caught the summer eye in the Premier League.
Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool are the three clubs to have been the most heavily linked with a swoop for the 24-year-old, but they weren’t the only ones with PIF and Eddie Howe also being credited with an interest according to reports from overseas.
Back in June, Italian outlet Gazzetta Dello Sport reported that the Magpies boss wanted to add more firepower to his attacking ranks and had identified the centre-forward as an ideal target having even made contact with his agent, and whilst the boss didn’t take his interest any further, it could potentially be a move that he revisits in the new year.
Speaking on The Rest Is Football Podcast, Newcastle icon Shearer was asked by his co-host Micah Richards whether he’d like to see Osimhen make the switch to the Northeast. As quoted by TEAMtalk, he believes the striker would be a big time addition:
“Yeah, they already have [Callum] Wilson and [Alexander] Isak, but I do not think you can ever have too many up top, you can change and rotate, he would have been a very good signing yeah and could take them to the next level. They have done it differently than we thought, a more measured way rather than going out and buying that big name.”
During his time at Napoli, Osimhen has racked up a total of 76 contributions (62 goals and 14 assists) in 104 appearances, form which has seen him dubbed a “goal-scoring machine” by journalist Josh Bunting, so it’s clear to see the prolific threat that he could bring if he was to ever join Newcastle.
The towering striker, who also has the versatility to operate everywhere across the frontline, knows what it takes to compete and be successful at the highest level having been crowned 2022/23 Serie A Champion, alongside winning the division’s award for Best Young Player as his individual efforts were recognised.
Napoli are believed to have set a staggering €200m (£171m) price tag for Osimhen which isn’t at all affordable for most clubs, but should his employers reduce the sum that they are demanding as he starts to edge towards the end of his contract, this would be a no-brainer of a deal to pursue.
