“Chelsea don’t need Osimhen” – declares French World Cup winner who also played for Arsenal

Osimhen won the CAF Player of the Year after a stellar season with Napoli, winning the league and the Golden Boot award.

Former France and Monaco defensive midfielder, Emmanuel Laurent Petit, has urged Chelsea to refrain from making a move for a striker in the summer, Soccernet.ng reports.

The 53-year-old Frenchman won the 1998 FIFA World Cup alongside the Euro 2000. He joined Chelsea in 2001 where he played for another three years before retiring due to a nasty knee injury.

Chelsea’s woes in front of goal this season has seen Mauricio Pochetinno identify a central striker as his major need when the club ventures into the transfer market this summer.

Victor Osimhen is a name that has been mentioned repeatedly in the club’s circle as a potential striker to play at the Stamford Bridge next year. Santiago Gimenez and Victor Gyokeres have also been linked with the two-time UEFA Champions League winners.

Petit, on the other hand, believes the former Tottenham Hotspur manager has more than enough players to turn Chelsea into a great team again, watering down the need for a huge signing.

“I don’t think Chelsea need Gyokeres or Osimhen. With Chelsea, there are so many players who are not playing to their level and can do so much more. I think Nicolas Jackson is one of them. He’s got lots of potential and has shown it in glimpses but he needs to do more. I think Caicedo needs to too and so does the Argentine midfielder, Enzo,” Petit told Genting Casino.

Chelsea signed Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez for a combined fee of £222m, but so far, they’ve not proved to be worth the price tag as Chelsea are still in the bottom half of the Premier League table, but Petit believes it is a confidence issue.

“Many players don’t play the way they should, there’s no confidence, they’re lost on the pitch, and it’s the same with Jackson. He’s struggling as the team is struggling. He’s not the type to dribble past four or five defenders and score, he’s not like that, but when Chelsea improves as a team, he will improve. That’s why I don’t think Chelsea needs to sign a striker, they need to stop spending so much,” the former French defender added.

Paris Saint-Germain are keen on the services of Victor Osimhen as they look to replace the seemingly Madrid-bound Kylian Mbappe.

 

This post was last modified on April 13, 2024 10:54 am

Adefolahan Guerreiro

Adefolahan is a multilingual journalist and writer at Soccernet Nigeria. With a track record of involvement in College sports, Adefolahan is focused on crafting engaging football content and utilising his language skills and extensive sports knowledge to enhance content accessibility for a global audience. He has interviewed Nigerian stars like Finidi George, Junior Lokosa, and Abraham Onahi Ogbu.

Recent Posts

Napoli identify three potential targets for Osimhen swap deal as Manchester United talks heat up

2023 Serie A winners, Napoli, have identified three potential candidates for a swap deal as… Read More

2 hours ago

Super Eagles star joins Mohammed Salah and Aleksandar Isak in Deeney’s BBC Team of the Week

Super Eagles and Nottingham Forest versatile defender, Olaoluwa Temitayo Aina, was included in Troy Deeney's… Read More

3 hours ago

“What more could you want” – Genk head coach lavishes praise on in-form Tolu Arokodare

KRC Genk head coach, Thorsten Fink, has praised Nigerian striker, Tolu Emmanuel Arokodare, for his… Read More

4 hours ago

After Alex Iwobi, Nigerian forward wanted by Girona spread Christmas joy with acts of kindness

Genk striker Tolu Arokodare, one of the Belgian Pro League's standout players this season, has… Read More

5 hours ago

“We will score goals” – Nigeria warned as Ghana’s Dramani predicts goal-scoring masterclass in Uyo

Ghana head coach, Mas-Ud Didi Dramani, has expressed confidence in his team’s ability to find… Read More

6 hours ago

“Lost money because of me” – Nigerian star claims angry gamblers behind vicious online attacks

KRC Genk forward Tolu Arokodare has blamed disgruntled gamblers for the barrage of online abuse… Read More

6 hours ago