Victor Osimhen has scored goals for fun in Ligue 1 with Lille to catch the eye of Premier League strugglers Newcastle United.
Perhaps the best compliment that can be paid to Victor Osimhen is to say that Lille are hardly missing Nicolas Pepe or Rafael Leao.
Two thrilling forwards fired Les Dogues to second in Ligue 1 last season before sealing £72 million and £40 million moves to Arsenal and AC Milan respectively. But, thanks to a 20-year-old striker who was snapped up for just over £10 million from Charlerloi, Lille have hardly slipped down the table as dramatically as many had predicted.
So far, the Nigerian international has netted eight times in 12 games to attract interest from clubs up to and including, according to The Chronicle, Premier League strugglers Newcastle United.
Strong, quick and brilliant in the air, the highlight of Osimhen’s season so far was a bullet header against Chelsea in the Champions League, his leap and formidable presence reminiscent of a striker who once terrorised defences all over Europe for the Stamford Bridge giants.
“I’m sure he’s going to be a phenomenon,” former Charleroi team-mate Nicolas Penneteau told Voix du Nord recently. “I’d compare him to Didier Drogba. He really makes me think of him. He has the same profile. He can do everything and he’s phenomenally powerful.”
Drogba was in his mid-20s when he started to find the net with regularity in France before sealing that big-money move to Chelsea. With that in mind, 20-year-old Osimhen has made his name far quicker than the Ivory Coast legend across the channel with clubs in the Premier League already taking a keen interest.
And with Joelinton doing very little so far to suggest he is the number nine Newcastle need to fire them clear of the relegation zone, don’t be surprised if Newcastle pay big for another centre-forward in the New Year with the prospect of Championship football once again hanging over St James’ Park.
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