By Wale Mustapha
Former Chelsea striker Tore Andre Flo has advised the club to reconsider their interest in Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen and instead continue to back current first-choice striker Nicolas Jackson.
Osimhen, who is on loan at Galatasaray from Serie A side Napoli, has been in prolific form this season, netting 31 goals and providing seven assists in 36 appearances for the Turkish giants.
Despite his impressive numbers, Flo questioned whether the Super Eagles star would immediately adapt to the Premier League.
Speaking to Goldenpanda, the former Norwegian international expressed concerns over Osimhen’s lack of Premier League experience and backed Jackson to develop further.
“It’s so difficult to be sure on anything, because we know Osimhen has a phenomenal scoring record, but he hasn’t played in the Premier League,” Flo said. “If I was Chelsea or Enzo Maresca, I would stick with Jackson at the moment.”
Jackson, who joined Chelsea last season, has struggled for consistency in front of goal, sparking speculation that the club could seek a high-profile replacement during the summer transfer window.
Despite the links to Osimhen, Flo believes Jackson’s existing familiarity with the league and Chelsea’s system gives him an edge.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career 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.
