Victor Osimhences' abysmal form in recent months has started to worry Chelsea and PSG ahead of a possible summer transfer bid.
At the start of the season and heading into 2024, Osimhen was undoubtedly considered one of the best strikers in world football. He scored 31 goals in 39 matches in all competitions last season, helping Napoli to their first Scudetto in 33 years.
However, this season the Nigerian has lost his luster, particularly in recent months. In 14 matches in 2024, Osimhen has only scored in four games. He also only delivered one assist. His overall performance level is also very disappointing. Napoli's 3-1 defeat against Barcelona in the Champions League a few weeks ago, when the Partenopei were eliminated, is an illustration of this. Osimhen won only one of the ten duels he fought and only one of the six aerial duels. He also gave the ball away 11 times and didn't get it back once.
A decline in general performance
Osimhen was offside four times in the first 20 minutes and was outplayed by 17-year-old Barcelona rookie Pau Cubarsi. In his last match, Osimhen was also completely taken out of the game by Atalanta's Isak Hien in a terrible 3-0 home defeat.
It has been suggested that Osimhen's departure scheduled for this summer has caused him to lose motivation in playing for Napoli. However, this does not explain his poor performance at the Africa Cup of Nations for Nigeria in January, where he scored just one goal. This situation has sowed doubt in the mind of Chelsea owner Todd Boehly, who knows he will have to pay a three-figure sum to bring Osimhen to Stamford Bridge. The Blues have spent more than €1 billion in the last 18 months since Boehly bought the club, and he is under pressure – not least because of FFP – not to waste more money.
