Man Utd, Chelsea or Bayern? Where Victor Osimhen could end up playing next season
Napoli were unexpectedly knocked out of the Champions League on Tuesday night, following a 1-1 (2-1) draw with AC Milan in the quarter-finals of the European competition. Despite sitting 22 points above their compatriots in Serie A, Victor Osimhen & Co. were seemingly incapable of getting the better of a team that have now beaten them three times this season.
The former Golden Eaglets (Nigeria U17 ) current market value stands on the European Transfermarkt stands at €100.00m
It was undoubtedly a frustrating night for Osimhen, who got on the scoresheet in the dying moments of the game, following Khvicha Kvaratskhelia‘s missed penalty just 10 minutes from full-time. And yet, despite his and his club’s failure to continue their impressive European campaign, there’s little doubt that the backpages will continue to speculate over the Nigerian international’s future.
How good is Victor Osimhen?
There’s little doubt that Osimhen has been the backbone of Napoli’s historic march to a first Serie A title in over 30 years and that’s largely down to the player’s remarkable goalscoring record in the Italian top-flight. To date, the towering striker has bagged an impressive 21 goals in just 24 appearances, which works out at an average of 0.97 goals per 90 minutes. And in terms of total goals scored in Europe’s top five leagues, only Manchester City star Erling Haaland and Tottenham Hotspur talisman Harry Kane can lay claim to more.
However, while Osimhen’s goal scoring form for Napoli is extremely impressive it’s also worth pointing out that the 24-year-old talent is also breaking new ground in terms of his contributions to his team. For example, Osimhen picked up just 10 goals in 24 league games in his first season in Italy and then added just a further 14 to his tally the following season. Which broadly falls in line with his spell in Ligue 1 and the Belgian Jupiler Pro League. As such, it’s perhaps worth considering whether this season is the start of Osimhen taking his game to a new level or just a note-worthy outlier over the course of his career.
What does fall in Osimhen’s favour in terms of his output in front of goal is his remarkable consistency in European competitions. Over the course of his career, the Nigerian international has played in two Champions League and two Europa League campaigns, scoring 11 goals in 19 games in the process. That works out at an equally impressive 0.69 goals per 90, which suggests that the young striker is certainly capable of playing at the highest level and against the toughest of opponents.
What clubs want to sign Victor Osimhen?
Although it would seem possible to pluck transfer rumours linking Osimhen to just about every major club in Europe this season, there do seem to be three or four main contenders for the Nigerian striker’s signature in the summer. And those clubs seem to be Manchester United, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich.
Naturally, the aforementioned Premier League pair may have a slight advantage in their ability to sell the allure of the English top-flight to the 24-year-old talent, who has stated that he dreams of playing in England one day. And it remains to be seen how PSG would squeeze Osimhen into their already top-heavy team of attacking stars. However, according to reports in the German press, Bayern may have a shot at signing the striker due to their clear need for a new No.9 and the fact that Osimhen still has fond memories of playing in the Bundesliga and would have a clear shot at winning the Champions League should he opt for a move to Munich.
