Osimhen Aiming for Real Madrid Clash Comeback

Top Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen hopes to be fully recovered and prepared for Napoli’s UEFA Champions League fifth-round match against Real Madrid on November 29 at the Bernabeu.

The 24-year-old Nigerian player was substituted during a friendly encounter in Portugal on October 13th against Saudi Arabia, and he has not played since.

Osimhen was not included in Nigeria’s team for their 2026 World Cup qualifying matchups with Zimbabwe and Lesotho.

Rudi Garcia is without his best player, a striker who scored six goals in his ten games this season before to suffering an injury. He hasn’t played in either of Napoli’s last five games.

The 24-year-old forward from Nigeria arrived back in Naples on Tuesday. He has been exercising at Castel Volturno and is eager to heal and go back on the field as soon as possible.

According to a report on Football Italia, “the striker wants to be fit for Napoli’s match against Atalanta on November 25 so he can use the international break to reach full fitness.”

“The goal is to be ready for Real Madrid’s Champions League match at the end of the month.”

The former striker for Lille was there in the stands at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona for Napoli’s 1-1 Champions League match against Union Berlin.

Matteo Politano’s opening goal in the 39th minute was cancelled out by a David Fofana goal in the second half.

Napoli now heads Real Madrid by five points as a result of the outcome.

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Exclusive: Chelsea one of many clubs waiting on Osimhen decision as he arrives back at Napoli

It’s already been one of the transfer sagas of 2023, and now that Victor Osimhen has arrived back in Naples after a break in Nigeria, the clubs that are interested in his services will be waiting on his next move.

The prolific hit-man has managed to avoid much of the media spotlight over the past couple of weeks, though this is sure to intensify once again, particularly in the lead up to the January transfer window.

Calciomercato noted at the start of November that Chelsea had made him their top target, but once it’s known whether he wants to leave the Partnopei or not, other clubs will surely make their move if appropriate.

They will likely have been given encouragement that they’re in with a chance of landing him given that his Napoli contract remains unsigned.

‘We know that many clubs have Victor Osimhen on their list. He’s an important, top striker that’s injured at the moment but back in Napoli after spending some time in Nigeria,’ Fabrizio Romano wrote in his exclusive Daily Briefing.

‘From what I’m hearing guys, at the moment, the beginning of November, there is still no agreement between Napoli and Victor Osimhen.

‘[…] The contract is still far from being done and so the feeling is that Victor Osimhen could leave in the 2024 summer transfer window.’

Osimhen’s reticence to signing his contract could be interpreted in one of two ways.

It’s either a game of brinksmanship on his part to extract more money out of his current club before putting pen to paper, or he will leave at the end of the season.

Either way, more clarity on his thought process would be helpful for everyone involved in the situation, given that it would mean the clubs and player himself can plan accordingly.