'I Was Crazy For Him' - Lille Transfer Guru Campos Reveals How He Discovered Osimhen

Lille sporting director Luis Campos has revealed that he was on the trail of Victor Osimhen for about four years before eventually signing the striker in the summer transfer window.

Campos is widely regarded as one of the top transfer chiefs in the world and is credited with unearthing talents such as
Kylian Mbappe, Nicolas Pepe, James Rodriguez, Anthony Martial, Fabinho, Bernardo Silva and Benjamin Mendy.

Campos pointed out that Osimhen would have been a player of Lille after the 2015 U17 World Cup but they were priced out of a move.

''I went to Lagos (Niger) to see the U17 World Championships. After one match I wanted him. But his price was very expensive for a 17-year-old,'' Campos said to Sky Sports.

''I spoke to my CEO. I called him every night saying, 'Please give me this player, he is amazing. In two years he will be one of the best in Europe'.

"In the end the player went to Wolfsburg. I went to Wolfsburg just to see him play. Sometimes he only played for five minutes, sometimes only two. I was crazy for him!

''Then he had a virus and had five or six months not playing and went to Charleroi in Belgium. Two months later I signed him. So itʼs a nice story. I lost the player but then got him back.''

Osimhen has made a blistering start to his career at Lille, scoring 8 goals in 11 appearances across all competitions, and Campos is tipping the Nigeria international to move to a bigger club next summer.

The Portuguese added : ''If all is normal at the end of the season there will be a big move for him because he's like a cat. You know, if you have a cat and give it a ball!

''Heʼs unbelievable. In the last 20 metres he attacks every ball. Every ball. Like a cat''.

Igho Kingsley

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