The Nigeria international is widely considered as one of the game’s best young strikers, but just how many goals has he scored so far?
Napoli star Victor Osimhen has been making headlines for all of the right reasons, and his sensational performances for the Serie A side have garnered attention all across the continent.
Indeed, his outstanding goal-scoring statistics have not gone unnoticed to the eyes of Europe’s wealthiest clubs, with the likes Manchester United, Bayern, and Chelsea all expressing an interest in acquiring his services in the near future.
The Nigeria international has established himself as one of Europe’s deadliest marksmen this season and has similar attributes to his childhood hero, Didier Drogba.
Osimhen’s game possesses the same certain brutality and devastation, with physical robustness to match his pace and presence.
The power and poise of Drogba can be seen in Osimhen’s style of play and he possesses a natural ability to find the back of the net, which is backed up by his prolific record.
But just how many goals has he scored for the club so far? Let’s take a look.
Goals for Napoli
After a stellar 2019-20 campaign with Lille, Osimhen was being chased by numerous big clubs and moved to Serie A side Napoli for a club-record fee of €70m.
A shoulder injury, suspensions, and coronavirus-related problems hindered Osimhen’s rhythm in his debut season in Naples.
Despite that, he still managed to end the season on a high note and scored 10 goals in the 2020-21 season, before topping that tally the following campaign.
Needless to say, he has become a popular figure among Napoli supporters due to his efficiency in front of goal.
Osimhen has taken his game to a whole new level this term, and his very presence on the pitch strikes fear into the heart of defenders, working in tandem to devastating effect with his partner in crime, Kvicha Kvaratskhelia to fire Napoli to glory.
Goals for Lille
Charleroi made a significant profit on their measly €3.5m outlay as LOSC Lille came calling, bringing him to France in a deal said to be worth up to €15m.
The Nigerian youngster was signed as a direct replacement for out-bound Rafael Leao, who was on the verge of completing a €35m move to AC Milan at the time.During his only season in Ligue 1, Osimhen hit top form, scoring 13 goals and setting up four assists in 27 league appearances. Only Wissam Ben Yedder, Kylian Mbappe, and Moussa Dembele had a better goal tally that season.
Goals for Charleroi & Wolfsburg
OSIMHEN AT CHARLEROI
Osimhen joined Belgian club Charleroi in 2018. While his start in the European game was a bit rocky, he bounced back and slowly started showing his full potential sooner rather than later.
He was named Charleroi’s Player of the Season for the 2018-19 campaign after he scored 20 goals in 36 games in all competitions for the Zebras and he ended the season as the club’s top scorer. His form also led him into Nigeria’s 23-man squad for 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.
Osimhen’s excellent performances drew interest from clubs all across Europe, with Milan, Schalke, Arsenal, and many more vying for his signature.Indeed, the Belgian side converted his loan move into a permanent one for just €3.5m in the summer of 2019, only to make a quick buck by sanctioning a sale in the same transfer window.
OSIMHEN AT WOLFSBURG
Osimhen started his career at the Ultimate Strikers Academy in Lagos, before starring for the Super Eagles at the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup.He gradually progressed through the ranks and signed a pre-contract with Wolfsburg, with the view to join the German top-flight outfit in January 2017.
He made his official debut for the club on May 13, 2017, coming on as a substitute in the 59th minute of a 1–1 draw against Borussia Mönchengladbach.
However, his time at the German club was riddled with injuries and he ultimately had to look for loan options to get more playing time.
Goals for Nigeria
Osimhen’s swift rise to the summit has more often than not been the result of his glowing performances for the Super Eagles across various age levels.
Indeed, his extremely promising performances at the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup caught the eyes of many European scouts, as he won the highest goal scorer award with 10 goals, playing a pivotal role in ensuring that the Nigeria U-17 squad 2015 were eventually crowned tournament champions. He earned a move to Wolfsburg off the back of that tournament.
Osimhen made his made his senior debut for Nigeria in a 3–0 friendly win over Togo in 2017, but had to wait until March 2021 to open his international account in an AFCON qualification match against Lesotho. While his international career is still in its early stages, the former Nigeria U-17 goal machine is among the 10 highest Super Eagles goal scorers, and boasts a superb goals-to-game ratio.
He also netted four goals in one game against lowly Sao Tome & Principe.
Osimhen goals in total for club and country
A footballing unicorn in many ways, Osimhen is an athletic, modern and powerful striker who has a strong eye for goal, is direct, and is pretty good with his hold-up and link-up play. Give him a yard in the box and he will make you pay.
He also has a great aerial ability, can easily beat defenders in the air, and the pace and acceleration to surge beyond his marker, making him a rare blend and, by consequence, a precious commodity. It’s no wonder so many big sharks are after his services.
Osimhen remains under contract in Naples until 2025, but the Partenopei’s determination to keep hold of their star striker is expected to be tested soon. The calls will be coming in during these next few months and clubs will be lining up to sign the Napoli hitman.
However, he won’t come cheap by any means. In fact, it would be a big surprise if he goes for anything less than the €100 million mark, especially with club president Aurelio De Laurentiis renowned for driving a hard bargain when it comes to selling his prized assets.
His stock will only skyrocket further if Napoli finally end their long Scudetto drought this season.
All in all, Osimhen is rapidly developing into a world-class striker, and it’ll be worthwhile to keep an eye on his goal-scoring exploits since he is on course to break some records at both club and international level.
Team | Games | Goals |
---|---|---|
Napoli | 87 | 49 |
Lille | 38 | 18 |
Charleroi | 36 | 20 |
Wolfsburg | 16 | 0 |
Nigeria | 22 | 15 |
Total | 199 | 102 |