Emmanuel Petit Backs Victor Osimhen to End Chelsea’s Striker Curse

Former Chelsea midfielder Emmanuel Petit believes Nigeria forward Victor Osimhen has the qualities needed to finally end the club’s long-running striker’s curse.

Chelsea have struggled to find a dependable number nine since the departures of club legends Didier Drogba and Diego Costa.

Osimhen came close to joining the Blues two years ago, but instead moved to Turkish giants Galatasaray.

The Super Eagles star helped Galatasaray secure a domestic double last season after finishing as the league’s top scorer, and has continued his impressive form this campaign with 20 goals and seven assists in all competitions.

Speaking on Andy’s Bet Club, Petit said he had hoped to see Osimhen move to the Premier League when he left Napoli.

“Victor Osimhen is doing well with Galatasaray, but when he left Napoli, I was hoping that he was going to come to the Premier League. I have no idea why he chose Galatasaray,” Petit said.

“Since Drogba, I think there’s been a curse around the number nine at Chelsea. I think it’s different with Osimhen because this guy has a really big personality and character—he could be the man to break that curse.”

Petit also believes Osimhen’s physical and aggressive style of play makes him ideally suited to English football.

“The way he plays on the pitch is a pain for defenders,” he added.

“This guy is very aggressive. He has something to prove. After he left France for Napoli, he did great in Italy. But then he was fighting with the president of Napoli, and then he went to Galatasaray.

“I think Osimhen has many seasons to play at the highest level. So I think that could be something very, very good for the Premier League. I think he has the character, the personality, and the background to play in the Premier League.”

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

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