Victor Osimhen: Chelsea legend questions why Super Eagles star joined ‘small club’

Victor Osimhen: Chelsea legend questions why Super Eagles star joined 'small club'

Amid the whirlwind of this summerā€™s transfer drama, a surprising twist emerged: Nigerian star Victor Osimhen chose Turkish giants Galatasaray over Europeā€™s top clubs.

Victor Osimhen: Chelsea legend questions why Super Eagles star joined 'small club'

Chelsea legend Joe Cole recently voiced his disapproval, pointing fingers at Osimhenā€™s agent, Roberto Calenda, for a decision he sees as beneath the strikerā€™s talents,Ā Footballrover reports.

For Joe Cole, it raises the question: why did one of Africaā€™s top forwards opt for a ā€œsmall clubā€?

The Super Eagles star had elite suitors, with Premier League side Chelsea and Saudi club Al-Ahli pushing hard in the closing hours of the transfer window.

French powerhouse PSG was also rumoured as an option, yet none of these moves materialised.

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Some say it was Calendaā€™s handling that prevented Osimhen from reaching Europeā€™s biggest stages.

Osimhen had already signalled his desire to leave Napoli, with a ā‚¬130 million release clause waiting to be triggered.

Despite coach Antonio Conteā€™s attempts to convince him to stay after a publicised TikTok incident impacted his mental well-being, Osimhen remained resolute.

Chelsea even offered Romelu Lukaku as part of a swap deal, but Osimhen ultimately declined, citing tax and image rights issues tied to the move.

Cole: Osimhen deserves Europeā€™s best, not ‘small club.ā€™

In an interview with TNT Sports, Joe Cole expressed his disappointment, insisting that a striker of Osimhenā€™s calibre belongs on a bigger European stage.

Victor Osimhen: Chelsea legend questions why Super Eagles star joined 'small club'

With many top teams struggling to find a reliable forward, Cole suggested Osimhen could have been the solution for one of Europeā€™s elite clubs, rather than ā€œsettlingā€ for Galatasaray.

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ā€œI blame his agent. For a lad that was the best player in Italy, there have been so many big clubs calling out for strikers banging in goals.

He put himself in a situation where it was untenable for him to stay at Napoli, but they couldnā€™t get the price they wanted for him.”

ā€œHe shouldnā€™t be at Galatasaray. He should be at a top, top club in Europe, but heā€™s there. Heā€™s got to score goals, bang them in, and find his way, hopefully to the Premier League.”

ā€œI think heā€™s a real talent. I donā€™t know. There must be something missing where the big clubs have looked at him and gone; Iā€™m not sure,” the former Chelsea star said.

However, the Nigerian forward is thriving in Turkey, tallying six goals and four assists in his first eight games.

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Despite the ā€œsmall clubā€ label, Victor Osimhen is proving that talent shines anywhere, making his mark on Galatasarayā€™s squad and perhaps giving sceptics like Cole something to think about.

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