Victor Osimhen has been described as the ‘future Didier Drogba’ by a former teammate, while PSG midfielder Idrissa Gueye is excited by the possibility of compatriot and defender Kalidou Koulibaly potentially joining him in Paris soon.
Osimhen, 21, had scored 18 goals and created six assists across all competitions this season before the coronavirus pandemic suspended play last month.
Since joining Lille for £10.8m last August, the Nigeria international has enjoyed an impressive run of goalscoring form and led the line confidently – ensuring LOSC fans are not missing Nicolas Pepe too much in the final third this term.
He netted 20 goals and created four in 36 appearances for Belgian side RSC Charleroi last season, having been used sparingly during two years with Bundesliga’s VfL Wolfsburg.
However, his progression has been evident to see and the forward’s stock continues to rise. It’s why 39-year-old goalkeeper Nicolas Penneteau, Osimhen’s former teammate in Belgium, spoke to RMC Sport and was full of praise for the youngster.
As quoted by Get Football News France, he said: “He does not surprise me. When he arrived, two clubs refused to take him because of little physical problems. In the first training sessions, we saw this was a player of a different class. I told him when he arrived at Lille but for me, he is maybe the future Drogba of the French league.
If he stays for at least two seasons, he will score goal after goal. He has all the qualities of a modern attacker: fast, jumps high, strong in duels, good with the ball and plays deep. He will overcome his little imperfections by playing, he is a phenomenon.”
Statistic: With his goal vs. Marseille on February 16, Osimhen overtook Jay-Jay Okocha into sixth place for all-time Nigerian goalscorers in France’s top-tier. He has 13 this term.
Gueye excited about potentially playing with Koulibaly at PSG
Kalidou Koulibaly’s long-term future has been up in the air recently, with his compatriot and PSG midfielder Idrissa Gueye adding fuel to the fire on potentially playing their club football together in Paris once the coronavirus pandemic is over.
During an interview with Canal Plus, the 29-year-old discussed the possibility of Koulibaly moving to France soon – while revealing what it would mean to him.
“I have not yet spoken to anyone about it, apart from one of my coaches who sent me a message and said that it would be fantastic. Yes, of course it would be fantastic for him and above all for the club.
It would be fantastic for me too, to have another Senegalese guy at the club – I get on very well with him and call him ‘my general’. If he comes here, it would be a good thing for him.”
Is moving for Koulibaly a viable option for PSG?
Well, there’s no smoke without fire.
Koulibaly has three years left to run on his existing Napoli deal, having signed a contract extension in September 2018 and reportedly rejecting Premier League interest.
He turns 29 in June and is widely considered one of the world’s best defenders, so regardless of any reported interest, isn’t likely to come cheap.
Any move would likely see Marquinhos shift into a defensive-minded midfield role long-term, while providing Presnel Kimpembe – who is improving all the time – an older and more dependable figure to partner alongside in central defence.
Club captain Thiago Silva turns 36 in September and is increasingly injury-prone, so it’s unfair for them to feel they need to rely on the Brazilian.
Bundesliga imports Thilo Kehrer and Abdou Diallo are versatile enough to feature in fullback roles while providing stiff competition for places, and highly-rated teenager Tanguy Kouassi is being monitored across Europe, as his deal expires this summer.
Mo and Sports 