After scoring his 20th goal of the season, Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen activated the goals bonus clause in his contract, requiring Napoli to pay him a bonus of €130,130 (N64 million), according to PUNCH Sports Extra.
The Nigerian international scored in Napoli’s 2-0 Champions League round of 16 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt to reach 20 goals and receive €130,130 (N63.6 million) in bonus money.
The Nigerian international has been with the Neapolitans for five years, and he is currently in his third and probably his best season.
When Napoli paid LOSC Lille €75 million and included a few players in the deal that saw the total fee exceed €80 million in 2021, they made Osimhen the most expensive African player in history.
In addition, Osimhen’s five-year contract included milestones that would allow him to earn more than his base salary of €4.8 million (N2.3 billion). One of these milestones required Napoli to pay Osimhen €130,130 if the Nigerian forward scored 20 goals in a season.
Osimhen only scored 10 goals in the league during his first season in Naples, but in his second year, he scored 18 goals, 14 in Serie A and four in the Europa League.
However, during the 2022/23 season, an extraordinary Osimhen tore through defenses and scored spectacular goals with incredible regularity.
Osimhen is the top scorer in Serie A with 18 goals in 19 appearances despite missing a month with an injury. He has now scored 20 goals, including two in the Champions League.
The 24-year-old attacker has scored in his last seven Serie A games, the most recent of which was a stunning strike in Napoli’s 2-0 victory over Sassuolo.
When asked earlier in the season if the bonus in his contract would inspire him to score more goals, the U-17 World Cup winner and record scorer stated that his first goal was to assist the team.
“I’m very happy; getting off to a good start was very important. We must feel the same as last year and get off to the best possible start. As a player, I don’t set goals; rather, I want to score to help the team. He stated, “I put the collective in front of me.”
If Osimhen can bring the total to 25 goals, he will receive a similar bonus. With his current form, scoring five more goals is only a matter of when, not if.