Why Tottenham must make a move for Victor Osimhen in the summer

Back in December 2019, Sky Sports had claimed that Tottenham were among the clubs keeping tabs on Lille striker Victor Osimhen.

Victor Osimhen, 21, has scored 15 goals and provided five assists in 31 appearances for Lille since arriving from Charleroi in July. His vital contributions have helped Lille to fourth in the Ligue 1 table, six points behind fourth-placed Rennes.

The report adds that Liverpool and Chelsea were also interested in the Nigerian but Tottenham must do everything possible to beat their Premier League rivals to the 21-year-old’s signature in the summer.

Spurs signed Gedson Fernandes on an 18-month loan deal from Benfica and Steven Bergwijn from PSV Eindhoven in January, whilst turning Giovani Lo Celso’s loan move permanent. Bergwijn made an instant impact for Spurs on his debut on Sunday, scoring in their 2-0 victory over Manchester City. However, Jose Mourinho should’ve also signed a striker last month following Harry Kane’s injury.

Kane, 26, handed Tottenham a major worry when he went down with a nasty hamstring injury earlier this month. The England skipper underwent a successful operation which will keep him out until April, leaving Troy Parrott, 17, as the only other out-and-out striker in the squad.

The likes of Lucas Moura and Son Heung-min can also play as a No.9 but they are more effective down the flanks, as witnessed over the last few seasons at the club.

For all his world-class qualities and goalscoring ability, Kane is injury-prone. The 2018/19 season saw the striker miss out on a majority of the second half of the season. A torn ankle ligament in January 2019 saw him miss eight games for Tottenham, before suffering another ligament injury in April. In the 2017/18 season, the Englishman also succumbed to hamstring and ankle injuries.

Amidst Kane’s injury problems and lack of depth, Spurs must reignite interest in Victor Osimhen when the transfer window opens in the summer.

Read more

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Osimhen has been prolific in front of the goal in the Ligue 1, having already scored 11 goals in 21 games this term. He is in fantastic form for Lille and having worked under the guidance of Joao Sacramento, who is now Jose Mourinho’s number two at Spurs, a move to north London might benefit him.

Verdict

Kane is the undisputed first-choice striker under Mourinho at Tottenham. However, the team needs cover and competition for their star striker and Osimhen would be a good option.