Better than Isak: “Best striker in the world” wants to sign for Chelsea

Chelsea’s Thursday night clash against Tottenham saw the return of Nicolas Jackson for the Blues, with the striker managing 82 minutes in his first game since the 3rd of February, when he was unfortunately taken off injured against West Ham.

The 23-year-old has scored nine goals this season for Enzo Maresca’s side, providing five assists and totaling 1,860 minutes played.

Having Jackson back in the side brings a focal point who can occupy opposition centre-backs, making runs in behind to stretch the pitch and dropping deep when needed to link play.

Whilst the return of Jackson is hugely positive for Chelsea’s run-in, as they look to qualify for Champions League football, it seems the Blues sporting directors are already working on adding another striker alongside the Senegal international next season, with links already beginning to swirl in April.

“Best striker in the world” wants Chelsea

According to a report from FootballTransfers, Napoli striker, currently on loan with Galatasaray, Victor Osimhen, has ‘set his sights’ on completing a move to Chelsea in the summer.

It reveals that the Nigeria international wants to sign for the Blues in the upcoming transfer window, providing the club with a huge boost in the race for his signature.

The 26-year-old has been heavily linked with Manchester United in recent weeks, but the reports suggest Osimhen favours a move to the London club over Manchester. The forward will be available for a fee between €75-80 million (£63-68m).

Osimhen has made 32 appearances for the Turkish outfit this season, scoring 28 goals, providing five assists, and totaling 2,517 minutes played.

This would give Chelsea a different profile of striker alongside Jackson, who could be even more effective than Newcastle’s Alexander Isak – who has been linked with a £120m move to Stamford Bridge ahead of the summer.

Why Osimhen would be better than Isak

Isak has made 34 appearances for the Magpies this season, netting 24 times so far, providing five assists and totaling 2,679 minutes played.

The Swedish striker has been in such a rich vein of form, he is even beginning to enter the conversation for best centre-forward in the league, alongside Erling Haaland.

When you compare Osimhen’s underlying numbers to those of both Isak and Jackson, you can see how he offers something different, being more of a penalty box striker, winning 4.24 aerial duels, by far more than both Isak and Jackson. He also has the highest shot-volume and highest xG generated, showing his willingness to attack the box and make things happen.

These statistics suggest that the Nigerian dynamo is even better than the Newcastle star because he generates xG and scores more frequently, providing a bigger threat in the final third, whilst also offering more of a physical presence against opposition centre-backs.

Former Galatasaray and Nigeria midfielder, Oghenekaro Etebo has labeled Osimhen the “best striker in the world“. His goal record speaks for itself, not only netting 28 goals this season, but also scoring 76 goals in 133 appearances for Napoli.

As good as Isak is, Jackson offers a similar skill set, being able to drop deep, provide carrying qualities, and make runs in behind to stretch teams. Chelsea could benefit more from a forward of Osimhen’s archetype, adding physical box presence as a differing profile to Jackson, giving Maresca more variety in his squad.