Rumour Mills: Hasselbaink doubts Osimhen’s Premier League suitability, backs Jackson for Chelsea

By Wale Mustapha

Former Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has expressed doubts over Victor Osimhen’s ability to succeed in the English Premier League, despite the Nigerian forward being heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge.

Speaking on the Obie One Podcast, Hasselbaink said he is not convinced that Osimhen’s style is suited to the demands of the Premier League. He suggested that Chelsea’s current striker, Nicolas Jackson, may offer more long-term value to the club.

“I love Isak, I think he’s magnificent, then you have Haaland, but you’re not going to get him. Then you have other strikers outside of England — like Osimhen,” Hasselbaink said.

“I know he’s your countryman, but I’m not convinced he’ll perform in the Premier League. If it were Spain or Italy, I’d say yes. But in the Premier League? I’m not 100% sure.”

Osimhen came close to joining Chelsea last summer before the deal collapsed at the final stages. He later joined Turkish giants Galatasaray on loan, helping them secure a domestic double and winning the league’s Golden Boot.

Despite his impressive season in Turkey, Hasselbaink remains skeptical, preferring to back Nicolas Jackson, who joined Chelsea from Villarreal two seasons ago. Though the Senegalese striker has struggled with consistency, Hasselbaink sees potential in his work ethic.

“I really like Jackson, and people think I’m crazy,” he added. “But I like him because he brings a lot of energy into the team — pressing from the front, the work rate — all those things are important. He gets lots of chances. Now we can work on his finishing, make him calmer and help him understand the role better.”

Chelsea remain active in the transfer market and recently signed Liam Delap, but the club is still exploring options to strengthen their attacking line.

Samuel Ahmadu

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.

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