Liverpool's newly appointed sporting director, Jorg Schmadtke, has expressed his regret over the decision to sell Napoli striker Victor Osimhen during his developmental phase at Wolfsburg.
Both Osimhen and Schmadtke were part of the Bundesliga team, Wolfsburg. However, at that time, Osimhen had yet to display the scoring prowess he possesses today.
After enduring a 16-game goal drought with Wolfsburg, where he had just begun his professional career, the Nigerian forward was sent on a season-long loan to Belgian club Charleroi. It was during this loan spell in the 2018/19 season that Osimhen flourished, netting an impressive 20 goals across all competitions.
Following his outstanding performances with Charleroi, the club exercised their £3m option to sign him permanently. However, just weeks later, Lille swooped in with a £19m deal to acquire the highly rated striker.
Now, as one of the most sought-after forwards in Europe, 59-year-old Schmadtke, speaking to Kicker, admitted, "In hindsight, it wasn't a good move. When I arrived, Osimhen was struggling and not performing well. I was informed that our current strikers weren't up to par. The key lesson learned is that patience is required when it comes to certain transfers."
Schmadtke, previously associated with Hannover 96, FC Koln, and Wolfsburg, is set to replace Julian Ward at Anfield in the summer. He will be entrusted with leading Liverpool's transfer operations following a relatively underwhelming season. It is expected that Schmadtke will aim to bring Osimhen to the club, as the Nigerian has been linked with a move to the English Premier League next season.
Prior to joining Napoli in 2020, Osimhen attracted interest from several top European clubs, including Liverpool. However, the Serie A champions managed to convince the Nigerian to reject the English club through unconventional means, as revealed by Giandomenico Costi, a former associate of Napoli's Director of Football, Cristiano Giuntoli.
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