Victor Osimhen: Napoli's disrespected striker is the ideal Karim Benzema replacement for Los Blancos

Napoli posted two videos to TikTok after last month's 0-0 draw with Bologna. In one, Osimhen was mocked for missing a penalty. In the other, he was compared to a coconut. Both were eventually taken down - but by that stage it was too late. The damage had already been done.

The posts had literally created a diplomatic incident, with Nigeria's sports minister, Senator John Owah Enoh, revealing that contact had been made with not only the player himself, but also the country's ambassador to Italy to ensure that "our athletes are afforded the respect they deserve and that they are not exposed to injustice, discrimination and unfair teasing".

Napoli insisted that it had never been their intention to "offend" Osimhen, whom they described "as a treasure of this club", and pointed out that they had rebuffed every offer received for the forward during the summer transfer window to further underline how highly they value him.

It was a very modern apology, though. Napoli were only 'sorry if anyone was offended' and the problem was that Osimhen was outraged by the posts. While he was deleting every single Napoli-related image from his Instagram account, his agent, Roberto Calenda, was threatening legal action.

Garcia tried to calm the situation, arguing "Nobody wanted to be hurtful, not the TikTok with the video of Victor, nor Victor by taking down his photographs on social media. Nobody intended to hurt anyone, these are instinctive reactions and are understandable."

However, Osimhen remains miffed. He appeared to blank his team-mates before Napoli's next outing, against Udinese, and also refused to celebrate after scoring in the 4-0 win at the Maradona. His subsequent strike against Lecce on Saturday was also met with a muted reaction, which only heightened the tension among Napoli fans.

Osimhen finally broke his silence the following day to express his enduring love for Naples and its peoples. "I will not allow anyone to come between us," he declared on Instagram. "The passion of the people of Naples fuels my fire to always play with my heart and soul, and the love for the badge is unwavering as I wear it with pride."

Tellingly, though, Osimhen made no mention of the club itself, which has led to further speculation over his future.

There's certainly no denying that this controversy could not have come at a worse time for Napoli, who are presently trying to tie Osimhen down to a new contract. An extension looked set to be signed during the summer, but the two parties have still not come to an agreement over the size of the buy-out clause, which is obviously of great interest to the many clubs interested in Osimhen's services.

Al-Hilal, remember, offered a fee in the region of €200 million (£174m/$212m) for the 24-year-old during the off-season, only to be told by Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis, "Your offer can buy a single foot of Osimhen. For next year, I think you'll be able to offer €500m and we'll maybe consider your offer, but I'll repeat myself: maybe."

The thing is, though, as it stands, Napoli won't be able to demand such a fee for Osimhen next year, given his contract expires in 2025. Therefore, it is absolutely imperative that they get Osimhen to not only put pen to paper on a new deal, but also get him to agree to a buy-out clause that ensures that Napoli will not be short-changed when the time comes to cash in on their most valuable asset.

Because make no mistake about it: Osimhen will eventually move on. He's never hidden his desire to play for a top Premier League club (he grew up idolising Didier Drogba, for what it's worth), while it's also been claimed that Madrid are the only team he'd consider joining.

A move to the Bernabeu would certainly make a lot of sense, as it would provide Osimhen with the platform he deserves to prove himself a genuine superstar, while at the same time filling the colossal void left by Benzema in the Blancos' attack.

Of course, in terms of like-for-like replacements, Harry Kane would have been the better option for Madrid. The England captain is, just like Benzema, capable of serving a side as both a provider and a finisher. Kane would have tied the forward line together in a very similar way to the Frenchman.

However, it's easy to understand why Madrid baulked at the idea of paying a nine-figure fee for a 30-year-old, particularly when they remain intent on prising Kylian Mbappe away from Paris Saint-Germain. The World Cup winner remains Florentino Perez's primary transfer target and there remains the suspicion that Mbappe will end up at the Bernabeu eventually.

But that shouldn't rule Real out of a move for Osimhen - at least not from a sporting perspective. For starters, he does not play in the same position as Mbappe and the idea of two such pacey young attackers lining up alongside Vinicius Jr is a mouth-watering prospect, even for neutrals.

In that sense, Osimhen is actually an even better fit for Madrid than Kane. It's not just that he's faster or younger, he's also far more more appealing from a marketing perspective, given he is such a joy to watch in full flow.

It's also well worth emphasising that Osimhen has many strings to his bow. He is not just quick; he is also powerful, skilful and can climb even higher than Cristiano Ronaldo to get his head on crosses, which is precisely why former Napoli boss Luciano Spalletti described last season's Capocannoniere as "the complete package".

Indeed, many pundits and coaches would argue that while Osimhen is not as prolific as Erling Haaland, he is far more exciting to watch, as he can sometimes evoke memories of the great Ronaldo by taking on entire defences on his own. As former Napoli boss Walter Mazzarri once told DAZN, "Osimhen is phenomenal because he runs alone at five players and still gets through."

Madrid are undeniably crying out for such a striker. The Liga leaders have made an encouraging start to the 2023-24 campaign, but the fear remains that they will eventually pay the price for refusing to sign a world-class replacement for Benzema, particularly in the latter stages of the Champions League. In truth, it wouldn't even be a surprise if their hopes of topping their group were dealt a heavy blow by Osimhen himself on Tuesday night.

So, if there is any chance of exploiting the current tension at the Maradona during the January transfer window, then Madrid must take it. Osimhen's bond with the people of Naples remains as strong as ever, but it's clear that his relationship with the city's club has hit an all-time low.

One can be sure, then, that Madrid will be among the many clubs monitoring Osimhen's every move in the coming days, weeks and months - both on the field and, perhaps more importantly, on social media.