August 20, (THEWILL) – The overall performance of Nigerian forward Simy Nwankwo in the 2020/2021 season, which literally represented most of what was brilliant about his Italian club Crotone but which was insufficient to see them remain in Serie A, was recognised by newly-promoted Salernitana enough to earn him a stay in the top division.
Salernitana worked out a loan agreement with the relegated Crotone for this new season with an obligation to buy the talented striker for a fee in the region of €6m at the end of the loan. It allows Nwankwo to continue in Serie A and play alongside compatriot Joel Obi in the squad managed by Fabrizio Castori.
Unione Sportiva Salernitana 1919, commonly referred to as Salernitana, played from their base in Salerno, a port city southeast of Naples, in Campania. They have returned to the top flight of Italian football this season after a 23-year absence. By finishing last season behind Serie B League leaders Empoli, they qualified for promotion.
They know what it means to retain their place in their divisions after climbing up to B in 2015 when they won the third division and they have climbed higher between that time and now. That is why they were particular about bringing in a player of Nwankwo’s pedigree with a proven expertise for goals in the Serie A.
The Nigerian has demonstrated that he can be depended on to boost his side’s fortunes in front of goal and that will be his mission in the Garnets’ frontline in his number 25 shirt.
His reputation for goals is not debatable. In the 2019-20 season, Nwankwo helped secure promotion for Crotone to Serie A with 20 goals in 37 matches. It was a record he maintained in the top flight as he ended the season with another tally of 20 goals. But, a leaky defense was what undid Crotone’s Serie A story and led to their relegation.
When it became mathematically impossible for Crotone to remain in Serie A in May, THEWILL had noted that Nwankwo had to consider his future and find a means to stay in Serie A because at 28, with a low-to-mid range football team, he was able to find the net 20 times out of 34 appearances, a consistency not many strikers can boast of.
For the sake of his opportunities in the Super Eagles squad and the justice his prolific goal-scoring merits merited, he did not deserve relegation. That is why his loan with Salernitana is good business for the forward.
Nwankwo remains one of Gernot Rohr’s attacking options in the Super Eagles team and his place in the squad for 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against Liberia and Cape Verde, on September 3 and 7, respectively, will be well served with the consistency he will put out as a part of the Salernitana team competing in the top flight.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
