TRANSFERS Summer Window2020-21
Record-breaker...
Victor Osimhen4
Napoli have paid Lille€60m up
front for Osimhen, but if all of
the additional clauses are met,
he will replace Arsenal winger
Nicolas Pepe as the most expensive
African player of all time at€81m.
It is an astounding sum for a
21-year-old who scored18 goals in all
competitions last season, and 20 the
year before on loan at Belgian side
Charleroi. Yet with several of Europe’s
biggest clubs interested in the young
Nigeria striker, he is clearly a highly-
regarded talent.
Ultimately, Napoli were prepared
to meet the asking price after their
worst finish for over a decade, and will
hope that Osimhen can follow in the
footsteps of Dries Mertens, Gonzalo
Higuain and Edinson Cavani by
spearheading a title challenge.VICTOR OSIMHEN5
When Thiago Silva announced
that he was leaving Paris
Saint-Germain, it was clear
that the Brazil defender would
have several suitors. However, whether
Chelsea is quite the right fit for him
remains to be seen.
Certainly defence is an area that
the Blues needed to improve, having
conceded 54 goals in 2019-20 – more
than any other side in the Premier
League top ten – and the hope is that
Silva can use his experience to marshal
the back line. It was not so long ago
that he was widely considered to be the
world’s best centre-back, and he will be
keen to prove himself in a new league.
But the 35-year-old will face a
much sterner test in England than he
has been used to in the last eight years
as part of PSG’s dominant side, and
opposition managers will attempt to
target him. If he can be isolated, it
could be a tough season for Silva.THIAGO SILVA