The Super Eagles star is one of the hottest strikers in Europe at the moment, and he has attracted a lot of admirers with his displays
Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen has been one of the centres of attraction in the transfer market this summer.
Some of the top sides in Europe, especially in the Premier League have been linked with the former Lille hitman. Arsenal, Manchester United, and Newcastle are the frontrunners for the 23-year-old’s signature which is far from surprising.
Osimhen was a standout performer in the Serie last season, scoring 14 goals in 23 league starts for the Partenopeans. In fact, he pipped Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic, Milan’s Rafael Leao, and Sassuolo’s Gianluca Scamacca to the best Under-23 player in the league
Soccernet looks at some of Osimhen’s qualities that could help him succeed in the English top-flight
Consistently-improving finishing ability
Osimhen proved himself as a top finisher last season, scoring 14 goals in 27 Serie A appearances.
In fact, if not for his top-class finishing, Osimhen may not have scored as much as he did. The Nigerian forward is surrounded by players who would rather go for goal instead of picking out their point man. Still, he churned out decent numbers.
The Nigeria international is cold as ice in front of goal, and always gives goalkeepers a tough time whenever he gets a chance.
Last season, Osimhen scored seven headers- a league-high. And he is also equally good with his feet.
Pace and high work rate
Osimhen is one of the hardest-working strikers in the game. He is always running, putting pressure on defenders, and always drops back to assist with defensive duties.
To accompany his work ethic is his pace. At 6ft1, the Nigerian striker is very fast. Last season, he reached a speed of 34.68km. One of the fastest in the Italian top-flight.
Whilst pace is not everything, a lot of players that have succeeded in the Premier League have been for their great pace.
Physicality
The English game has played host to many strikers who have made their name through playing physical football. His physicality is accompanied by a strong mentality, as he is fearless.
Didier Drogba, Demba Ba, Sadio Mane, and Emmanuel Adebayor are just a few names that have similar attributes to Osimhen and have succeeded in the league.
Osimhen has the same qualities as all of these names. And if he makes the move to the Premier League, he could be a handful, especially against defenders like Maguire and Johnny Evans.