By Akinwale Kasali
To many footballers, especially, young Nigerian footballers, offers to play for big clubs like Barcelona and Arsenal Football Clubs are chances of a lifetime. The clubs have name-recognition. And they pay well.
But to Super Eagles and Lille Metropole Football Club of France forward, Victor Osimhen, it is no big deal. He prefers action, and a gradual build of his career to big names and big money. Osimhen has, therefore, turned down tempting offers from Barcelona Football Club and Arsenal Football Club, to play for them. He says none of the clubs can guarantee him a starting shirt.
The 2015 FIFA Under-17 World Cup highest goal scorer in Chile has been instrumental to the good performance of his French club side. He has scored a total of 13 goals this season, prompting top European club sides to jostle for his signature.
Osimhen stressed that he may return to German Bundesliga side, Wolfsburg Football Club, where he made only 14 appearances in two seasons before joining Royal Charleroi Football Club in Belgium.
Since bursting onto the scene last season, the 20-year-old has been linked with top clubs in Europe, vying for his signature.
In a chat with Nigeria Info FM, a radio station, Osimhen disclosed how he spoke with Arsene Wenger, but later opted for playing time by joining Wolfsburg.
“I also declined Barcelona move because I will not get a shirt (starting XI) and, this would weaken my future chances, that was why I reconsidered twice,” Osimhen said.
The only player in the history of FIFA Under-17 World Cup to have scored in all matches at the competition revealed that he decided to join Wolfsburg following advice from his brother.
“I spoke to my brother, and he gave me some candid advice. He said I should pick Wolfsburg because the coach wanted me so much than the rest.
“Sometimes, what you imagine is not what you get. So it didn’t work out well and I was really sad it couldn’t work out well because I really had a point to prove but sometimes life is like this so you have to accept it,” the Lille striker said.
Osimhen scored three goals in his last two matches for the Super Eagles in the 2021 African Cup of Nations qualifiers against the Squirrels of Benin Republic and the Crocodiles of Lesotho.
He is the present replacement for Odion Jude Ighalo, the Nigeria Striker that retired after the 2019 AFCON championship in Egypt.
