He is one of the best strikers in the world, a man who led Napoli to a miracle third Serie A title, so no-one imagined the transfer saga of all transfer sagas would end with Victor Osimhen set to join Galatasaray on a season-long loan.
Osimhen’s critics will tell you that an injury-prone player who had one extraordinary season cannot be priced as high as 130m euros (£110m), but is that argument underestimating just how much he has developed and, indeed, accomplished?
There are so many beautiful goals one could describe in delicious detail, a catalogue of skills and assists the Nigerian has produced to leave fans salivating, yet one will always stand out – the goal even "Pele would have been proud of", according to Brazil and Napoli legend and former Scudetto winner Antonio Careca.
Named goal of the month, it was week 20 in the Serie A calendar when Napoli hosted Jose Mourinho’s Roma in January 2023 and Osimhen opened the scoring with ludicrous brilliance.
Controlling a cross with his chest, he allowed the ball to fall neatly on to his thigh before firing a perfect volley into the roof of the net. In the words of Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen, it was "simply lovely".
The stunned spectators’ wide-open jaws served to highlight not only the skill and technique of the player but their continuous disbelief as to how one player can change a club’s fortunes so radically.
Osimhen made the coach, the club and the fans believe in the miracle of winning their first title in 33 years.
It was Osimhen in pre-season who was repeatedly telling his team-mates that they must aim for the Scudetto.
Luciano Spalletti, the then manager, said that if he can convince the others to believe as much as Osimhen did, then they can try.
Osimhen provided the goals - 31 plus five assists in 39 matches - but it was his mentality and ability to motivate a team that for too many years had been held hostage by their inferiority complex which won the hearts of an entire city.
In that Roma game, Osimhen was replaced by Giovanni Simeone, who scored the winner in the 86th minute. No-one cheered louder than Osimhen. A happy team, a united dressing room.
Dedication to his craft stood Osimhen in good stead.
Staying behind after hours to train with Spalletti, he improved his first touch, his technique and his confidence on the ball to become the most important player in the squad.
We cannot forget the brilliance of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia or midfield maestro Stanislav Lobotka, but when Napoli were thumped 4-0 by AC Milan in the Champions League, it was the absence of Osimhen that left them rueful.
His history with injuries is one of the reasons a release clause of 130m euros is deemed too high.
As Gazzetta dello Sport once put it, "Osimhen attacks every shot as if it were the Olympic 100m".
Devoting maximum energy to every move, every shot and every run makes Osimhen a fan favourite for his effort, but it can be detrimental to the body. He has never been one to hold back.
It has been regarded as a fall from grace for Osimhen - Italian newspapers called it "sad" - but the move to Galatasaray means he will don the red and yellow strip once worn by his idol Didier Drogba, allowing him to accomplish a minor dream.
More importantly, and according to reports in Italy and Turkey, Osimhen ensured his contract includes a clause that will allow him to leave Istanbul if one of the top 10 clubs he has listed come calling in January.
He must sign another contract extension, this time to 2027, so Napoli can still exercise a certain level of control when he is sold permanently, but at least his release clause has been brought down to a more reasonable 75m euros (£63m).
Will a Premier League club come calling in a few months?
