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The arrival of Samuel Chukwueze to compete with Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman in Serie A adds to the Nigerian interest in Italy’s top division. The trio should challenge for the European spots, leaving fans on the edge of their seats in 2023-24.
No sooner had Victor Osimhen claimed last season’s Capocannoniere than the Napoli striker must go again. This time, the centre-forward has company: Samuel Chukwueze and Ademola Lookman.
No sooner had Napoli won their first Scudetto title in 33 years than they must defend their title. Baring their fangs are the challengers, and there are many of them.
For anyone of a Nigerian persuasion, the interest in Serie A probably doubles in 2023-24.
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History-making Osimhen vs history-chasing Osimhen
Osimhen was the competition’s adored player last term, and — despite the summer transfer window having a fortnight to run — it seems Italy’s top division should keep the centre-forward for another season.
This could be pivotal to a successful Scudetto defence, even if Napoli’s summer of change suggests another failed title defence is expected. No team has retained their crown since Juventus’ nine-year hegemony was halted by Antonio Conte’s Inter Milan in 2020-21.
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18:12 - 04.07.2023
Victor Osimhen: Why are clubs not lining up to sign the Napoli marksman?
Victor Osimhen may have to bide his time at Napoli. A destination transfer may not happen this summer despite another year of change in Naples.
Inter lost the title to their rivals AC Milan. Milan could not retain the crown last season, thus opening the door for Luciano Spalletti’s men to end a generation of disappointment.
Spalletti is no longer in situ, with the departed Tuscan replaced by Rudi Garcia in Naples. Garcia, a two-time Serie A runner-up, looks to be the first manager to retain the Scudetto for any side since Maurizio Sarri’s success in 2020.
Pivotal to all that is Osimhen, whose potential at the club reached new levels under Spalletti, who intermittently extolled the Nigerian’s “stratospheric talent”.
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The centre-forward was a beneficiary of Spalletti’s penchant for drawing out goals from his central strikers — but it remains to be seen if the new Napoli boss is as successful with the erstwhile Lille man.
Osimhen became the first African to claim the Capocannoniere last season, but no player has retained the top-scorer award since Antonio Di Natale in 2010-11.
The Napoli marksman broke the mould in 2022-23, and he has to do it again to become only the second player in this millennium and the third since 1990 — Giuseppe Signori (1992-93 and 93-94) and Di Natale (2009-10 and 10-11) — to end atop the scoring charts in consecutive seasons.
Nobody foresaw Napoli’s Serie A success last term, especially after they lost Lorenzo Insigne, Kalidou Koulibaly and Dries Mertens in one window. Nobody predicted Osimhen’s ascent to winning the Capocannoniere, even if his potential was acknowledged.
Both have lost that element of surprise, and the league is aware of the threat they possess. Stopping a successful title defence falls on the rest of the competition, with AC Milan perceived to be leading that race to challenge the Partenopei.
Samuel Chukwueze’s AC Milan ambition
Chukwueze’s unveiling at Milan was welcome in Lombardy, and the forward revealed he spoke with Osimhen before moving to Italy.
Part of Milan’s heavy recruitment drive after Sandro Tonali’s sale to Newcastle United, the former Villarreal man will be pivotal to Stefano Pioli’s team, whose best plays come in their attacking transitions.
An overreliance on Rafael Leao got to a head last term, with the Rossoneri lacking real bite without the Portuguese in the team, effectively contributing to a meek Champions League semi-final exit against Inter.
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16:46 - 27.07.2023
Samuel Chukwueze: Super Eagles winger could help AC Milan lose Leao dependency
For a long time, AC Milan have been limited by their seeming over-reliance on Rafael Leao. Samuel Chukwueze helps to shed that ‘one-man team’ tag.
Tonali was a saleable asset that the Rossoneri have used in strengthening qualitatively and quantitatively to push Napoli in 23-24. 13 points separated Inter and Juventus in 21-22; the Nerazzurri ended the following season two points adrift of Milan.
Finishing 20 points adrift of the Partenopei was statistically the worst Scudetto defence in those three years after Juventus’ dethronement, and Milan look placed to be resurgent in the imminent season.
Acquiring a player who was involved in 24 goals in all competitions last season theoretically elevates Milan. Chukwueze was set for the next level, and it should make for good viewing to see how it all translates in Serie A.
Milan seem to be the best-equipped side to battle Napoli, but they are not alone, with Atalanta again in the conversation to punch above their weight.
Are we sleeping on Ademola Lookman’s Atalanta?
It will be remiss to ignore Lookman, who begins year two in Serie A in far better condition than last season.
Lookman joined Atalanta from Leicester City just nine days before La Dea’s campaign started, but it did not prevent the former Everton man from scoring on his debut against Sampdoria in gameweek one.
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12:00 - 04.04.2023
TUESDAY TRIVIA Lookman at Atalanta: drought vs flourish
Tuesday Trivia is a weekly column that presents relevant sporting facts. This week's edition takes a look at Ademola Lookman's oscillating form in Serie A this season.
This time, the 25-year-old had a more settled off-season in Bergamo, finding the back of the net three times across the team’s tune-ups as he seeks to start positively after petering out at the backend of last season.
Lookman’s 13th and final goal of 22-23 came on April Fool’s Day against Cremonese, even if he set up two goals in the run-in — taking him to 19 goals plus assists in Serie A alone. Despite the late-season drop-off, the Super Eagle enjoyed an encouraging first year in Italy.
With Duvan Zapata battling injury and Luis Muriel unable to influence games as much, Gian Piero Gasperini called upon other squad members to be decisive to ease the burden on Lookman and Rasmus Hojlund.
The latter has now been sold to Manchester United, with El Bilal Toure arriving from Almeria and Gianluca Scamacca returning to Italy after a below-par season in the Premier League and a loan deal for Charles De Ketelaere confirmed.
It remains to be seen if Lookman’s game time will be reduced in the new term. But last season’s contributions put the Nigerian first in line to play as Atalanta competes domestically and in the Europa League.
Like Milan, Atalanta look to have bolstered their squad after selling a prized asset, making the Bergamaschi favoured to surpass expectations in 23-24.
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If last term’s top-four tussle is an indicator of anything, this year should throw up additional curveballs in the Champions League joust.
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11:42 - 30.07.2023
ANALYSIS Osimhen's Napoli, Mourinho's Roma and the Milanistas: How are Serie A's big guns dealing with the transfer market?
Jose Mourinho has had to make do with bargain deals in the summer window while Napoli have been quiet, and both Milan clubs have made a splash. How are Roma and the challenging Serie A contingent looking with September 1 a month away?
Juventus, uninvolved in European competition, are tipped to contend under Massimiliano Allegri.
Jose Mourinho is expected to push for the coveted spots after two years outside the Champions League, even if the Giallorossi have had to go after bargain deals in the transfer market, while both Milan clubs form the rest of the teams looking to usurp Napoli.
No player in Serie A scored more goals than Osimhen’s 26, nor did anyone outdo the striker’s seven match-winning strikes.
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16:10 - 16.01.2023
SUPER EAGLES Osimhen is on course to become the first African Capocannoniere
Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen could be the first-ever African to win the Serie A Golden Boot.
The Napoli man should be a protagonist this term, seeking to guide the Partenopei to another Scudetto. He should face stiff competition, with Chukwueze and Lookman providing that for Milan and Atalanta, respectively.
The new Serie A campaign will be all shades of fun due to the marginal difference in technical quality among the league's leading sides, thus precipitating another tussle for the competition's fancied spots.
For anyone of a Nigerian persuasion, the presence of three potentially pivotal characters jostling at the top of the table means there is a level of investment in this year’s outcome than in previous years.
And that is undoubtedly a good thing.
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