Liverpool really wanted to sign attacker in 2020, he’s now worth £130m

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Liverpool were desperate to sign then Lille striker Victor Osimhen before he joined Napoli in 2020.

That’s according to Giandomenico Costi, a consultant of Napoli sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli. Speaking to Tuttosport about Giuntuli, Costi recounted a story from three years ago, when the Neapolitans convinced Osimhen to reject Liverpool and sign for them instead.

“As complicated as the Osimhen negotiation at Napoli, which is his absolute masterpiece,” Costi began. “He was locked in a hotel in Rome for three days, he knew that Liverpool was on Victor. Klopp had stepped up. But Cristiano locked himself in the hotel with Osi until he convinced him to accept Napoli.

“I was tired, that despite being with him I just supported him. But he was full of energy. Giuntoli is a director who calls you even a hundred times a day. He knew Victor very well, he had even followed him to Charleroi.”

Having been sold the dream by Giuntoli, Osimhen has gone on to be an unmitigated success in Naples. 56 goals in 98 games tells its own story. But having found the net 23 times on the way to their first Scudetto since 1990 this season, the 24-year-old now has demi-god status at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

Liverpool miss a trick in the market

Liverpool may very well have been keen on signing Osimhen three years ago. The Nigerian had come off the back of a very good season at Lille and the Reds were on the lookout for some competition for the legendary Mane/Salah/Firmino trio.

But there’s absolutely no way that Liverpool would have paid the reported £70m it cost Napoli to get him out of France. Not a chance.

Still in the grip and uncertainty of the Coronavirus pandemic, the Reds couldn’t commit that kind of money to a new signing. With full stadiums still a year away, finances were being carefully managed.

Obviously, this didn’t stop Liverpool from dipping into the transfer market. They couldn’t completely ignore the need for reinforcements. But the £45m they spent on Diogo Jota was much more palatable.

Up until this season, it also looked like being the better deal. Before the 2022/23 campaign began, Osimhen and Jota’s respective records over two seasons at their clubs read as follows: 28 goals in 62 games for the Napoli man, 34 in 85 for Liverpool’s No.20.

This season has blatantly tipped the scales in Osimhen’s favour, though. With rumours now abound that the Premier League’s big-hitters will have to pay £130m to buy him this summer [The Daily Mail], he’s one of the most coveted strikers in Europe. Maybe Liverpool did miss a trick after all.