Victor Osimhen: One thing Man Utd & Chelsea should be worried about

Carlo Garganese

• 28 Mar 2023 15:30 CDT
• 4 min read

Victor Osimhen has emerged as the number one striker target for Europe’s biggest clubs this summer, with Manchester United, Chelsea and PSG all preparing record bids.

According to a number of reports, Napoli have slapped an astronomical €170 million asking price the Nigerian.

And given his form this season, it is easy to see why.

MORE: Osimhen, Kolo Muani or Kane? The best €100m fit for Man Utd next season

Osimhen has been truly devastating in 2022-23, scoring 25 goals in all competitions from just 29 games.

In the process, he has led a Napoli team to the verge of their first Scudetto since 1990 and into the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Osimhen clearly is the complete striker. He has pace, physical power, brilliant movement, clinical finishing, can play with his back to goal or on the last man, and is arguably the best striker in the world aerially.

Osimhen’s injury record

But there is one potential weakness that Man Utd, Chelsea and PSG should be wary of ahead of this summer; Osimhen’s injury record.

On Friday, it was revealed that Osimhen had returned from international duty with Nigeria with a left adductor injury in his thigh.

This would rule him out of Sunday’s Serie A match with Milan and left him at risk of missing the Champions League quarter-final with the Rossoneri in April (even if Osimhen is confident he will be back for those matches).

Up until now, Osimhen has missed 45 games for Napoli with injury or illness since joining the club from Lille in the summer of 2020.

By the time he returns, he will be close or will have surpassed a half century of matches missed.

This is a lot of games and translates into just under a third of Napoli matches over this time period.

Earlier this season, Osimhen missed over a month of action with a biceps femoris muscle injury.

Last term, amongst the four separate periods he was sidelined, Osimhen missed 54 days with a fractured cheekbone. This led to him wearing a protective mask ever since, although he has now finally removed it.

Osimhen’s aggressive, explosive and competitive style of play certainly leaves him open to both muscular and contact injuries - as does his rather rubbery frame.

If there is anything that could stop the 24-year-old from not only being one of the best players in the world - he already is - but one of the best and most consistent strikers of this generation over a long period it is his susceptibility to injuries.

The hope is this latest injury is just a minor setback. After all, Osimhen has gone over five months since his last injury and that should be seen as a positive.

Napoli, though, will be hoping to have their star striker back fit as soon as possible as they try to create history at home and abroad.