By Wale Mustapha
Former France international and Chelsea winger Florent Malouda has endorsed Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen as the ideal signing to solve Chelsea’s attacking struggles.
Malouda, who spent five seasons at Stamford Bridge, said Osimhen would be a perfect fit for the Blues, citing his scoring ability and experience as key assets.
“The [Osimhen] links with Chelsea are strong. We’ve had brilliant African footballers in the past, and Osimhen can be the next generation of African players at Chelsea,” Malouda told Racing Tipster.
“I would love to see him join the club. I think he would be an excellent signing. I also think he would help someone like Nicolas Jackson improve.”
Chelsea are reportedly in the market for a proven striker after a disappointing season from current No. 9 Nicolas Jackson, and Osimhen is one of several targets being considered by new manager Enzo Maresca.
Osimhen, currently on loan at Galatasaray from Napoli, was close to a move to Stamford Bridge last summer, but the deal collapsed due to high wage demands.
Malouda added that Osimhen’s goal-scoring prowess would make a significant difference for the club.
“We [Chelsea] need a striker that scores 20 or more a season. Osimhen is the kind of player who can do that,” he said.
Osimhen, a key figure for the Super Eagles, remains one of the most sought-after strikers in Europe and is expected to be a headline figure in the summer transfer window.
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.
