"He would be perfect" - Christian Vieri urges Liverpool to sign 23-year-old Serie A striker as Sadio Mane replacement

Former Serie A striker Christian Vieri believes Napoli striker Victor Osimnhen would be a good signing for Liverpool if Sadio Mane leaves this summer.

He stated that the Nigerian would be perfect for the club as manager Jurgen Klopp's teams are built around running.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has reported that Mane will leave the Merseysiders this summer with Bayern Munich interested in signing him. Hence, they will look for a replacement for the Senegalese, who has been with them since signing from Southampton in 2016.

Vieri believes the Reds should sign Osimhen, as he told Bobo TV (via Napoli Magazine):

"If I'm Liverpool I'm going to get Osimhen from Napoli. Everyone in Klopp's team runs, they go at a thousand per hour, it would be perfect."

The 23-year-old joined Napoli in 2020 from Lille has been impactful so far. He has scored 28 goals and provided nine assists in 62 appearances in all competitions for the Serie A club.

As per La Gazzetta dello Sport, if a club are to sign Osimhen, Napoli want it to be done as soon as possible so that they get enough time to find an apt replacement. The Serie A club want €100 million for the Nigerian.

If the Reds are to sign him, they will have to compete with Manchester United and Arsenal, who are also interested in his services.

"Why would you want to leave" - Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard on Sadio Mane's transfer reports

Former Reds midfielder and current Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard shared his thoughts on reports of Mane leaving the club. He questioned why a player would want to leave the club given that they fight for all the trophies available.

After Jurgen Klopp's men were defeated in the Champions League final against Real Madrid on May 28, Gerrard told BT Sport (via Liverpool Echo):

"Salah has already said that he is going to be here next year, I know there is a bit of noise around Mane. But why would you want to leave this Liverpool team because you know that they are going to be competitive in the business end of the season?"

Mane has scored 120 goals and made 48 assists in 269 appearances for the club since joining in 2016. The 30-year-old has won multiple trophies with the Reds, including one Premier League title and one Champions League title.

About the author

Aditya has been working as a European football journalist and editor for Sportskeeda for close to 4 years. He boasts a total experience of over 7 years, and always aims to inculcate proper context in his articles, making the most of his prior stints in writing and marketing across a number of different industries over the years. He has also played football at college level for 2 years.

A B.Tech. graduate, Aditya's journey as an ardent football fan began after watching the elegant maestro Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, and his infamous headbutt on Marco Materazzi in the final. He has been a fan of Tottenham Hotspur's front foot and creative football since 2008 and connect's with the club's underdog status.

Aditya, who is a Sportskeeda 'Long-form Editor of the Month' award winner, is a big admirer of Luka Modric's elegant and hard-working style of play. His favorite manager is Carlo Ancelotti because the Italian allows his players enough freedom in an age where micromanagement is the established norm.

Aditya feels Jude Bellingham and Jamal Musiala could replicate the Messi-Ronaldo rivalry due to their incredible collective potential. In his free time, he likes to read classical fiction, travel to places, and explore a variety of foods.

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Edited by Arjun Panchadar