France and Arsenal legend Emmanuel Petit has thrown his weight behind Victor Osimhen making a summer switch to the Premier League, arguing the Super Eagles striker possesses the physical and psychological tools to excel in English football.
Speaking to Andy’s Bet Club, the former midfielder — who won the 1998 FIFA World Cup with France and the 1998 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup with Chelsea — described Osimhen as a persistent threat to any defensive line. “The way he plays on the pitch is a pain for defenders. This guy is very aggressive. He has something to prove,” Petit said.
The 27-year-old has been in emphatic form for Galatasaray this season, registering 20 goals across all competitions. That tally mirrors his output from the previous campaign, in which he netted a staggering 37 goals — a figure that reinforced his standing among the most prolific strikers in European football. Osimhen’s 2024/25 season was interrupted by injury and a month-long absence due to the Africa Cup of Nations, making his current return of 20 goals all the more notable.
Petit acknowledged the turbulence that preceded Osimhen’s move to Istanbul, particularly his well-documented fallout with Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis, but insisted those episodes should not overshadow what remains a formidable career trajectory. “After he left France for Napoli, he did great in Italy. But then he was fighting with the president of Napoli, and then he went to Galatasaray,” the Frenchman noted.
Despite those off-field complications, Petit remains firmly of the view that Osimhen’s peak years are still ahead of him and that a move to England represents the logical next step. “I think Osimhen has many seasons to play at the highest level. So I think that could be something very, very good for the Premier League. I think he has the character, the personality, and the background to play in the Premier League.”
Petit’s endorsement is not new. The former midfielder had previously identified Osimhen as the player capable of ending Chelsea’s struggles with a traditional centre-forward — a topic that has resurfaced periodically given the Blues’ difficulties in that position in recent seasons. Multiple Premier League clubs have been linked with the Nigerian international, according to reports, with his future at Galatasaray beyond the current season remaining uncertain.
Osimhen joined Galatasaray on loan from Napoli in the summer of 2024 after a proposed move to Chelsea failed to materialise during the previous transfer window, sources suggest. The Turkish Super Lig side holds an option in the arrangement, but the striker’s performances have inevitably attracted renewed interest from clubs across Europe’s top leagues.
For context, Osimhen’s record at Napoli — 76 goals in 133 appearances across all competitions — underpinned the club’s Serie A title triumph in the 2022/23 season, their first Scudetto in 33 years. That campaign, in which he finished as Serie A’s top scorer with 26 league goals, elevated him into the conversation for the Ballon d’Or.
With the summer transfer window approaching and the Super Eagles set to learn their AFCON 2027 qualifying group opponents on May 19, Osimhen’s next club destination is expected to be among the most closely monitored stories of the off-season.
