By Wale Mustapha
Former Nigeria international Celestine Babayaro believes that both Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman would be perfect signings for Chelsea.
The two Super Eagles stars are expected to depart their respective clubs at the end of the current season.
Osimhen, whose loan deal with Turkish Super Lig champions Galatasaray is set to expire, has a €75 million release clause in his contract. Napoli, his parent club, is reportedly open to letting him leave this summer.
Meanwhile, Lookman has been in exceptional form for Serie A side Atalanta and is on the radar of top European clubs.
The 27-year-old forward is rumored to be available for around €60 million.
Babayaro, who spent five seasons with Chelsea, is confident that both players would thrive at the Premier League club, highlighting the club’s rich history of African talent excelling.
“Lookman and Osimhen would fit in perfectly at Chelsea, it’s obvious they would have an immediate impact there if signed,” Babayaro said in an interview with AfricaFoot.
He continued, “Look, we’re talking about two of the best strikers in Europe right now. African players have always excelled at Chelsea, and these two would be no different.”
With their strong form this season, both Osimhen and Lookman are expected to attract significant interest from top clubs, with Chelsea appearing to be a potential destination for the talented duo.
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.
