Gary Lineker tells Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United-linked Victor Osimhen which club he should join
Napoli forward Victor Osimhen has been linked with the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United among other clubs. Former Manchester City defender Micah Richards asked Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer which club they would join had the duo been in Osimhen's place.
With the conversation taking place on Rest is Football Podcast, Lineker said:
“I think I’d look at it and I’d go, at the moment, Arsenal. Obviously, we’re talking about everyone offers the same thing, that’s what you want, blah blah blah in your contract. I mean, to be honest, they earn so much now that you can just choose where you want to go."
He explained:
“I would say, Arsenal are probably a centre-forward away from winning things. Chelsea are a centre-forward away from becoming competitive again. Manchester United are a centre-forward away from improving, but they’ve still got a long way to go. If I were him, you want to go somewhere where you think you’re going to win things.”
Osimhen is one of the best strikers in Europe right now, registering 67 goals and 17 assists in 119 appearances. He ended the 2022-23 season with 31 goals and five assists in 39 games.
Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United - how will Osimhen fit in at each club?
Arsenal currently have Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah as the two first-team strikers at the club. They still lack a traditional number nine, who can also be a regular goalscorer. Jesus has three goals in 16 league games, while Nketiah has five goals in 20 games. Hence, adding Osimhen might give them a new direction of goalscoring.
At Chelsea, Osimhen will likely replace Nicolas Jackson as the starting number nine. He will have the likes of Cole Palmer and Christopher Nkunku next to him, which will be a great addition for the Blues. However, given that the team is young, Osimhen will need time for the Blues to get together as a squad.
At Manchester United, he will directly compete for a starting spot with Rasmus Hojlund. It will be a tough task to fit them both in with Marcus Rashford also known to be a goalscoring forward. Moreover, with United lacking creative wingers at the moment, Osimhen will have to solely depend on the service of Bruno Fernandes for his goals.