Afcon goal drought may affect demand for Osimhen , to resume training on Thursday
Top European football clubs are skeptical about signing Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen after scoring just a goal at the just concluded Afcon in Cote d’Ivoire.
Before the Championships, every Chelsea fans believed the club should still sign 25-year-old striker in the summer but after a disappointing tournament in front of goal at Afcon and looking on social media, it appears that some Chelsea supporters are not too keen on the Blues breaking the bank for his signature.
The 25-year-old was able to help Nigeria to reach the final, where they narrowly lost to hosts, but he only managed to score one goal in seven games.
It is a very underwhelming return for a forward of Osimhen’s calibre.
But other think Chelsea should still sign him if they have the opportunity to.
Osimhen’s goal record at Napoli is still respectable
Osimhen struggled to find the back of the net at the Africa Cup of Nations, but he has been deadly in front of goal at Napoli.
Last season, for example, the Nigeria international scored 31 goals in 39 appearances.
In total, Osimhen has netted 67 times in 119 games for Napoli, which is a pretty good record.
That should not be overlooked after one bad international tournament, though you can understand why some may be against the idea of spending over £100m on him. It is a lot of money for any player.
According to the Evening Standard, his release clause is set at a whopping £112m.
Osimhen will be playing with better players at Chelsea
Nigeria are one of the best teams in their continent and have some talented players.
Away from Osimhen, the likes of Ademola Lookman and Samuel Chukwueze have a lot of ability. However, are they on the same level as Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernandez, for example?
At Chelsea, playing alongside the World Cup winner and the club’s current top scorer, Osimhen should get an abundance of chances per game. And his overall record suggests he is good enough to finish them.
Elsewhere, according to La Repubblica newspaper, PSG are expected to make a €120m offer for Osimhen in the summer, but the Ligue 1 giants also want to invest the same fee in Milan star Rafael Leao.
Osimhen has scored eight goals in 18 appearances for Napoli this season and recently signed a contract extension until June 2026 with the Partenopei.
According to several sources, Osimhen has a release clause worth €120m-130m, but according to Repubblica, Napoli expect an official bid from PSG at the end of the season.
The report claims the Partenopei are waiting for a €120m offer from the Ligue 1 giants and are prepared to part company with the Nigerian forward at the end of the current campaign.
PSG are preparing for life after Kylian Mbappé and have also set their sights on Milan star Rafael Leao. It is reported that the French giants are preparing a similar offer for the Portuguese forward who has a €175m clause in his contract with the Rossoneri.
Serie A champions expect the striker back for training after he faced failure in his attempt to win the African Cup of Nations.
The Partenopei have make a late push to qualify for the Champions League next season and their recent loss to Milan dented their hopes further, as they find themselves in the table. They currently seven points behind fourth-placed Atalanta, who recently beat Genoa 4-1.
The season is a stark contrast to how things were last season. La Gazzetta dello Sport have reported that Osimhen will return to the club’s training ground at Castel Volturno on Thursday and after that, he will start training with his teammates as Napoli look to recover what is left of the season.
Osimhen has scored seven times in Serie A this season, assisting twice so far. He has one goal in the Champions League and has one assist to his name.
