Amid the whirlwind of this summerās transfer drama, a surprising twist emerged: Nigerian star Victor Osimhen chose Turkish giants Galatasaray over Europeās top clubs.
Chelsea legend Joe Cole recently voiced his disapproval, pointing fingers at Osimhenās agent, Roberto Calenda, for a decision he sees as beneath the strikerās talents,Ā Footballrover reports.
For Joe Cole, it raises the question: why did one of Africaās top forwards opt for a āsmall 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.
Some say it was Calendaās handling that prevented Osimhen from reaching Europeās 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 Conteās 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 Europeās best, not ‘small club.ā
In an interview with TNT Sports, Joe Cole expressed his disappointment, insisting that a striker of Osimhenās calibre belongs on a bigger European stage.
With many top teams struggling to find a reliable forward, Cole suggested Osimhen could have been the solution for one of Europeās elite clubs, rather than āsettlingā for Galatasaray.
āI 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 couldnāt get the price they wanted for him.”
āHe shouldnāt be at Galatasaray. He should be at a top, top club in Europe, but heās there. Heās got to score goals, bang them in, and find his way, hopefully to the Premier League.”
āI think heās a real talent. I donāt know. There must be something missing where the big clubs have looked at him and gone; Iām 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.
Despite the āsmall clubā label, Victor Osimhen is proving that talent shines anywhere, making his mark on Galatasarayās squad and perhaps giving sceptics like Cole something to think about.
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