Glenn Hoddle was seriously impressed last night by the performance of Chelsea target Victor Osimhen, who starred in Napoli’s Champions League victory.
Napoli took control of their Champions League last-16 tie by winning 2-0 away to Eintracht Frankfurt in the first leg.
In-form striker Osimhen was at the heart of his team’s success in Germany, which is no real surprise given he’s now scored 20 goals in 24 games across all competitions this season.
The 24-year-old star earned his side a penalty in the first-half after showing serious pace in the penalty box, albeit Khvicha Kvaratskhelia missed the spot-kick.
However, Osimhen did put Napoli ahead in the tie with a close-range finish inside the box. He had an identical goal ruled out just minutes later for an offside, too.
Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s goal secured a 2-0 victory for the Serie A leaders, who look a real threat in this year’s Champions League competition.
Victor Osimhen impresses
BT Sport pundit Hoddle was full of praise after Osimhen’s contribution yesterday in the Champions League.
In particular, he highlighted some “incredible” work to win a penalty, surprising the opposition defender with his pace to draw a mistimed kick on his leg.
“He’s got that pace to go in behind defenders. Every defender will tell you, ‘You hate it when you’ve got a player who drifts on the shoulder’,” Hoddle told BT Sport 2 (10:05pm, 21 February).
“…He can hold the ball up. He’s got everything. He’s quick off the mark as you see when he gained the penalty. How he got the penalty was incredible… the defender had no idea he was coming to get the ball.
“He’s a top, top player. Let’s hope he can just continue, be injury-free, and end up in the Premier League.”
Chelsea rumours
According to 90min earlier this month, Chelsea have made Osimhen their primary transfer target for 2023.
They add Italian side Napoli may demand as much as €150million (£133million) for their star striker, though.
Graham Potter’s Blues side are desperately crying out for a high-profile No.9 to lead their line, with goals a very hard thing to come by this season for the team.
However, are Chelsea prepared to throw even more cash at another marquee signing?
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