Victor Osimhen to Chelsea: Potential Impact and Implications

The recent meal being cooked by the Chelsea rumour mill has seen the return of Victor Osimhen to the menu. In a tweet, the ever reliable Fabrizio Romano mentioned the willingness of Napoli to engage in discussions with Chelsea over a deal which would see Romelu Lukaku head the other way.  Furthermore, David Ornstein has mentioned the possibility of Chelsea bringing in Osimhen on loan. Through this blog post, I will attempt to breakdown the impact Osimhen might have on Chelsea. 

Osimhen: Career Stats and Performance

Standing at six feet one, Osimhen is a tall, lanky figure perfect to spearhead any good attack. He started 25 games in the league this season, scoring 15 and assisting a further 3 while his 6 Champions League appearances produced a return of 2 goals. The Nigerian boasts a career tally of 90 goals in a 174 club  appearances with only 8 coming from the spot. 

While Osimhen caught the eye of clubs at Lille, it was in Naples that he cemented his position as one of the elite center forwards in European football, scoring 65 times in 108 appearances while leading the Neapolitans to their first scudetto in 33 years, scoring 26 goals in 32 as he claimed the Player of the Year award. Despite starts being reduced in the following season, he still managed a healthy return. 

Osimhen: Playing Style and Strengths 

Like all center forwards worth their salt, Victor Osimhen is a handful for defenders. Despite appearing lanky, the Nigerian is a bundle of energy who uses his physicality well to hold off defenders. His presence is like a magnet that often helps to create space for his teammate as defenders are attracted to him. Osimhen has the frame and physicality to hold defenders off which allows him to be more than serviceable with his back to goal meaning teams that rely on him with long balls from the back. 

Blessed with excellent pace, Osimhen is very good at running the channels, chasing down loose balls like a hound chasing a rabbit. His pace often makes it difficult for defenders to close him down with them seeing his heels more often than not. This attribute makes him a good asset to have on the counter attack while he is a constant threat against teams playing a high line. 

Victor Osimhen is also excellent technically for a striker. He has good close control and a decent pass on him which allows him to link-up well with his teammates. Osimhen can also survive well in tight spaces, with good feet that allows him to wiggle past defenders or markers. But dribbling is not really his strongest suit but he is decent enough at it to not be a problem. This also means he would adjust well to a possession oriented team, especially one that might attempt to create artificial transitions. 

One of the traits that makes Osimhen stand out is the amount of shots he takes on goal. This is a player who is not afraid to shoot, whenever and as many times as he can. He finds an ounce of space and he pulls the trigger, the hallmark of a good striker. For strikers, the motto should be to take as many shots as you can because "you miss 100% of the shots you don't take". Averaging at 4 shots per game at Napoli, this allows him more chances to score goals. And if he doesn't, there is every chance that the shot will rebound and fall into a favourable situation for a teammate or a corner or maybe even a handball. There are so many ways in which taking shots helps a team and is why teams pay so highly for one who is willing to do so. 

Elite movement inside of the box makes Victor Osimhen the perfect fox in the box, causing havoc among the opposition defense. He is able to sniff out chances with guidance from a sixth sense that elite strikers seem to possess. A lot of people gloss over the amount of chances players like Haaland miss but you have to be there in the first place to convert that opportunity into a chance. Osimhen also has a decent leap, which would serve him well in the Premier League and its physicality, providing his team with a focal point for crosses. 

Implications of Osimhen Joining Chelsea

The first major implication for Chelsea by signing Osimhen would be the presence of an elite striker to convert chances. Chelsea were second in the Premier League last season in terms of missing big chances as they squandered away 73. At times, the team was crying out for elite box presence to be at the end of the chances created. Osimhen would fill that void. 

The implication hovers around Nicolas Jackson. Ask any Chelsea fan and its more than likely they will provide mixed responses to the conundrum of Nico Jackson. Personally, I am in love with him. This is a fighter, a proper footballer. He has elite technical ability which allows him to be the glue that binds the attack together. Very good dribbling that allows him to escape tough situations and his back to goal play is also more than decent. Recall the number of times he drops deep, wriggles past a defender and charges the Chelsea attack. Prime example. that Palmer goal against Luton, who started the move? 

Now, Nico the footballer is much much better than Nicolas Jackson the striker and that is despite him scoring an impressive 14 non-penalty goals on his debut season in the Premier League. He also had 5 assists, so basically 19 goal contributions in 35 appearances. Impressive if you ask me and then people should really consider the fact that last season was his first full season as a striker. His misses were frustrating but there is a player there who is on the right trajectory, destined to become a great and he feels like a Chelsea player.  And, he is 23, only and versatile, meaning there is a discussion to be had about moving Nico to the left wing. 

So, do we stop the growth of a player who is showing more than enough capability to lead the line for Chelsea? Who is on the right trajectory?  Under Roman, my answer would have been yes. The goal then was to win, now and tomorrow but more importantly now. But now, it is more of a "project", with more leeway for growth (failure in my opinion). And, the elephant in the room is that there are no guarantees Osimhen would perform well for Chelsea. Cough...Lukaku...Cough. 

This segues nicely into the third major implication, Romelu Lukaku. I, for one believe that Lukaku failed more due to off the pitch incidents rather than Lukaku the player. Was it something that could have been overlooked? I believe so, yes. The interview was bad, yes but was it unforgivable? But none of that, Chelsea want him out just as much as Lukaku wants out. So a huge dot on the wage bill would be removed.

Now, the final implication which could have ramifications across the club. The wages. Victor Osimhen is a player on a rumoured salary package of 200 thousand pounds per week, a stark contrast to the salary being dished out by BlueCo. Chelsea already, apparently, missed out on Olise due to his wage demands which Bayern were more than willing to cough up. And the long term contracts given out to the existing players are on low wages meaning that any good performers are more than likely to knock on the doors of Winstanley and Stewart's. And then, what if Osimhen doesn't perform? 

My Thoughts

 Finally, Osimhen is a player I would not mind seeing at Chelsea. The probability of the deal happening is high I believe, with him also being a Chelsea fan, thank you Didier. Is he the striker who is going to see BlueCo achieve their goals? Not sure. Under Pochettino I would have no doubts in my mind. But no, I am not sure but it is a ride I am more than willing to be on. 

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