Osimhen dreams of winning Champions League
Lille forward, Victor Osimhen, has asserted he is keen to win the Champions League at some point in his career.
The 21-year-old Nigerian shone brightly for Les Dogues last season, scoring 18 goals in all competitions after arriving from Belgian club Charleroi.
Two of those goals came in the Champions League, in a 2-1 home loss to Chelsea and a 4-1 defeat at Valencia, with Lille finishing bottom of Group H with a solitary point.
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Three Nigerians have won the prestigious tournament – Kanu Nwankwo and Finidi George claimed ultimate honours after Ajax Amsterdam saw off AC Milan in the 1995 final in Vienna, while John Obi Mikel was among the Chelsea contingent that got the better of Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena in 2012.
Osimhen – who is heavily linked with Napoli – also insisted he wants to play for a big club and also win trophies with the Super Eagles, where he has earned eight caps and scored four goals.
“Among the aspirations I have for my career is to play in one of the most important clubs in the world, to win the Champions League, to win something with Nigeria. I want to win, I hope it is not too big a dream.” Osimhen said on Out of the Home Podcast.
Osimhen credits former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba as one his idols. The retired Ivory Coast international was the catalyst for the Blues’ Champions League triumph in 2012, scoring the equaliser in the 88th minute and scoring the decisive penalty in the shootout.
Osimhen was the star of the Golden Eaglets side that won a record fifth Under-17 World Cup title in 2015, finishing as the tournament’s top scorer with 10 goals.
He admits several of Europe’s big clubs were after him but he opted for German club Wolfsburg, were he was plagued by injuries which limited him to 16 appearances before moving to Charleroi.
“Idols? There are several strikers that I like, but I try to steal some movement from Drogba, even if I am not like him for the player I am,” he continued.
“After the Under-17 World Cup I was looking for Barcelona, Juventus, Arsenal and Inter Milan, but I wanted to grow and become a good striker. Wolfsburg was a good option, but when I went there, I hurt my shoulder.”
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With the growing speculation Osimhen will join Napoli, especially as striker Arkadiusz Milik is reported to be on his way out, Lille president Gerard Lopez has declared Osimhen would be a superstar at the San Paolo if he joins.
“For Victor, we had several offers. He asked me and I told him what I think was the ideal club for him,” Lopez told La Voix du Nord.
“Napoli is just below Juventus or Barcelona but is at the same level as Atletico Madrid. If he goes there, he will become their superstar.
“Having a city like Naples at your feet must be exciting for a footballer. Victor has the strength to perform under pressure.”