Victor Osimhen’s next club has been one of the most talked-about topics in recent times.
The 25-year-old Nigerian striker has attracted interest from top European clubs, including Arsenal, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, and Manchester United.
Victor Osimhen’s impressive stats
Osimhen has proven himself to be one of the world’s best attackers. The Nigerian forward scored 31 goals in 39 appearances in all competitions in the 2022–2023 season, including 26 in the league, making him Serie A’s top scorer for the season. This impressive performance pushed Napoli to their first Scudetto title in over three decades, also earning him the African Player of the Year award.
However, Osimhen was unable to match this impressive performance in the 2023–2024 season. A season marred by injuries, international duties (AFCON 2023), and some issues with the club, saw the prolific striker score just 17 goals in 31 appearances in all competitions, as per Transfer Market.
Despite this reduction in output, we can not deny the fact that Osimhen still remains one of the deadliest strikers in Europe presently, as his 0.56 goals per game in the just-concluded season beats that of many attackers.
Victor Osimhen’s abilities
Known for his well-rounded skillset, Victor Osimhen combines both physical strength with pace and technical abilities, making him a menace to opposition defenders.
“We played a very good match.
“We have to continue like this and I had to maintain concentration against Osimhen who is really annoying,” Bologna defender Riccardo Calafiori said, as per Sports Buddy, after his team’s win over Napoli, highlighting how stressful it is to defend against the former Lille striker.
Blazing pace
Osimhen is one of the quickest strikers in Serie A, which makes it extremely difficult for defenders to control him. This enables him to take advantage of gaps in the defense to open up scoring possibilities during counterattacks.
Physical strength
In addition to being swift, Osimhen has a powerful build. He is capable of successfully stopping opponents, winning aerial duels, and guarding the ball. This ability helps him make room for himself and bring teammates into action.
Clinical finishing
The 25-year-old striker does have a nice finishing touch. He has an excellent ability to find the back of the goal and convert opportunities, which is evident in his goal returns, helping him amass a total of 76 goals in 132 appearances for the Gli Azzurri.
Aerial threeat
Osimhen is dangerous in the air, which only adds to his physical superiority. He’s a useful target for crosses and set pieces because of his height and leaping abilities.
Decent dribbling abilities
Despite not being the best at it, Osimhen can still make space for himself and other players. On occasion, he can slip past opponents and set up scoring chances.
Clubs that Can benefit from Victor Osimhen’s abilities
Paris Saint-Germain
With the departure of Kylian Mbappe, PSG will be looking to replace the prolific forward with another attacker who has the ability to produce massive goal returns.
Osimhen might not be a like-for-like replacement for Mbappe; however, the current African player of the year possesses some attributes such as blistering pace, run-in behind , and lethal finishing that Mbappe possessed. His arial prowess will serve as an additional advantage for PSG as they have good crossers of the ball in Achraf Hakimi, Ousmane Dembélé, and the likes, who can deliver good crosses for Osimhen.
Arsenal
Following a disappointing season for Gabriel Jesus which saw him record just four league goals in the just concluded Premier League campaign, the Gunners are in search of a striker.
Having been linked with several strikers accross Europe, Osimhen comes up as a solution to the North-London club’s problem in attack. Recently, Sports Buddy reported that club legend Emmanuel Petit urged Arsenal to sign the Super Eagles striker who would guarantee 30 goals in a season.
Additionally, Arsenal are in need of a point man who has the ability with balls high-up in the air, linking up with other players who would be benefitting from his hold up abilities.
Chelsea
Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson faced criticisms last season for his inability to bury clear-cut chances.
Despite scoring 14 goals in the league last seasson, it is believed Jackson is a second choice striker at best as a result of his criminal misses.
Osimhen would no doubt offer more in terms of goal returns compared to Jackson. His aerial abilities will also serve as an advantage to Chelsea as they possess good crossers of the ball.
