Former Napoli talent spotter reveals he discovered Osimhen while scouting Man Utd and Lyon fullbacks

Former Napoli talent spotter Leonardo Mantovani has admitted that he discovered Victor Osimhen during a UEFA Champions League meeting between Ajax Amsterdam and Lille on September 17, 2019.

The one-time Napoli chief scout was actually at the Johan Cruijff ArenA to run the rule over Manchester United right-back Noussair Mazraoui and Lyon left-back Nicolás Tagliafico, who were playing for Ajax Amsterdam at the time.

Although Osimhen fired blanks in 90 minutes of action, his all-round display captured the interest of Leonardo Mantovani.

Impressed by Osimhen's relentless work ethic, Mantovani submitted a detailed scouting report to Napoli’s management.

The 2015 Fifa U17 World Cup Golden Boot winner had a fantastic season at Lille, registering 18 goals in 38 appearances across all competitions, leading to a scramble for his signature. 

Despite being linked with a potential move to the Premier League, with Tottenham Hotspur among his suitors, Napoli won the race for Osimhen, acquiring him from Lille a year after he was scouted. 

In an exclusive interview with Radio Napoli Centrale, via Tutto Napoli, Mantovani said: "I happened to see him in a match that was Ajax-Lille in the Champions League.

"But in reality we had gone to see the full-backs of Ajax, Mazraoui on the right and Tagliafico on the left.

"Going back, I make my report of the match and say that there were two other strong players: one was Soumaré, a midfielder, and Osimhen.

"This striker who ran a lot and covered the entire department and perhaps ran too much. But he was truly uncatchable."

Osimhen was instrumental to Napoli winning the Scudetto in the 2022-2023 season, netting 26 goals in 32 games in the Serie A.

The relationship between Napoli and Osimhen broke down when the Nigeria international insisted that he wanted to leave the club in the summer transfer window, a situation that Galatasaray took advantage of to sign him on loan in September, after failed moves to Chelsea and Al-Ahli.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

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