Victor Osimhen during his time with Charleroi. (Getty Images)
According to claims from Belgian daily Le Soir, Watford and Southampton are amongst the Premier League clubs to have expressed an interest in signing Wolfsburg striker Victor Osimhen, who is currently on loan at Sporting Charleroi in the Belgian top-flight.
Le Soir also understands that Serie A giants AC Milan and Ligue high-flyers Lille are also keen on securing the services of the 20-year-old Nigerian prodigy.
Wolfsburg shipped Osimhen out on loan to Sporting Charleroi last summer, with the Belgian outfit holding an option to sign the Nigerian permanently for a fee of €3.5 million. Le Soir claims that Charleroi want to trigger that option and then sell him to another club this summer to pocket a massive profit.
The same source adds that the Belgian club are looking for a fee of around
€12 million to part ways with their prized asset, having already turned down a€6 million bid from Egyptian club Pyramids FC back in the January transfer window.
Osimhen rose to prominence with Nigeria at the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile where he bagged the Golden Boot and Silver Ball awards in the Super Eagles’ triumphant campaign. His talent and potential didn’t go unnoticed, as Bundesliga club, Wolfsburg offered him a three-and-a-half-year deal in January 2017.
However, the Nigerian struggled for regular minutes in the Bundesliga and was loaned out to Sporting Charleroi after just a single season. Osimhen has proven his worth as a prolific goalscorer in the Belgian top flight this season, racking up 12 goals in 25 appearances. In all competitions combined, the 20-year-old has accumulated a total of 17 goals and 4 assists.
Standing at 6ft.1 inch with a towering frame, Osimhen is very quick and agile for a player of his stature, while his exceptional close control and dribbling skills are rare traits among towering centre-forwards. He does have the ability to play on either flank but he is at his best when deployed as the spearhead of the attack as a centre-forward.
The Nigerian has earned rave reviews for his incredible eye for goal, intelligent movement off the ball, pace and power as a striker. He knows how to create his own space with sharp turns and clever touches, holds up the ball well, likes to play with conviction and always has a tendency to get a shot away on goal whenever the opportunity presents itself.
Blessed with super-quick reactions, Osimhen has wonderful instincts for a player of his age and always seems to be a dangerous presence inside the box with his towering frame. Also, he is very strong in the sir, making him a genuine threat from crosses and set-pieces.
To put things into perspective, Osimhen’s potential has been there for everyone to see and he would be a wonderful long-term investment for both Watford and Southampton but the Hornets should look to get one over the Premier League rivals by winning the race for the talented youngster.
Watford had a good run in the Premier League this season, only for them to miss out on a top-ten finish following a 4-1 defeat to West Ham on the final day. The Hornets already have the likes of Troy Deeney and Gerard Deulofeu up front, while Andre Gray is also a useful back-up. However, they should start looking for a long-term successor to captain Deeney and Victor Osimhen can certainly prove to be an upgrade on him in the longer run should he go on to fulfil his potential.
Isaac Success is someone who the Hornets should look to replace or loan out this summer after the Nigerian’s failure to make a significant impact. Osimhen is a natural goalscorer and he certainly has the quality to make the step up to the Premier League and increase competition for places up front at Vicarage Road. the 20-year-old has already broken into Nigerian’s senior national team, which speaks volumes of the progress he has made over the years.
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Watford need to bring in more quality players to challenge for a European spot next season, having fallen short of their target by a narrow margin this time around. That said, Osimhen could prove to be a useful addition to the squad.