Osimhen admits MLS preference over Saudi Pro League

Victor Osimhen, while recovering from a muscle injury that will keep him out of action until the end of November, spent an hour chatting with Mario Balotelli, his brother Enock and goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano on the ‘TvPlay’ channel‘. The Nigerian striker told his story and talked about current events, starting with the Ballon d’Or: “Those who deserve to win it are Messi and Haaland. One won the World Cup and the other secured the treble with Manchester City. Both would deserve it. Earn it? For me, it is already a dream to play at this level. It will be a goal, but not an obsession.”

Napoli: “Before arriving, I spoke with Koulibaly about the city, its people and the stadium. When I scored the first goal at the Maradona, it was not full due to covid, but the people there were eager to celebrate with me. I always notice the same emotions there, it doesn’t matter if you are playing with a top rival or with a smaller team.”

Past: “When I was little, football was the only thing that gave me happiness. When I was 14 I started working and one day, one of the people in charge encouraged me to play soccer again as I damaged my shoulder earlier on. I used to get up at five in the morning to train and then work. My mother died when I was very little, my father had lost his job and we did everything to raise the family. “Football has saved us.”

Cristiano and Messi: “I took photos with Messi and Cristiano when we crossed paths on the field. It’s difficult to choose the best, I couldn’t say. “What they did for football is incredible.”

Saudi Arabia: “The level of their league is good, they signed great players and it is now an attractive place to play. It’s now a decent league. Where would you go between MLS and Saudi League given the same economic conditions? I don’t know, but I think I would go to America...”

Chukwueze: “He is a great talent. It was also difficult for me to adapt in the first two months in Italy. Serie A is very competitive and he comes from playing in LaLiga for a number of years. “I can bet my life on his talent, he must believe in his strength and everyone will notice.”

Immobile: “He is a legend, I respect him a lot, he has a scoring instinct and I also told him that in person. "I don't feel better than him, I just started and I want to reach his level."

Drogba: “Didier inspired me. A person told me that my game was similar to his and I started studying his videos. I have met him, he has been one of my main inspirations.”

Kvara: “I love him very much. We have a great relationship, he is a very good person. We call him ‘wizard’.

Tricky defenders: “Romero was the most complex rival. The first time we crossed paths, I was impressed by his speed. I had a very tough time playing against him. Another solid defender is Smalling.”

Goalkeepers: “Scoring against Maignan is very difficult. He is big, tall, and has good reflexes. “He was also very good when I trained with him in Lille.”

Nigeria: “We have a long road ahead, but we have the quality to win the African Cup of Nations but we will be one of the contenders, you can’t underestimate anyone because each team has its strength. “We are ready, we can go far.”