With ongoing speculation surrounding Victor Osimhen’s potential move to Chelsea, former England star Stan Collymore has expressed concerns about the significant pressure the Nigerian striker could encounter.
The 25-year-old Nigeria forward is anticipated to depart Napoli this summer, with several clubs, including English Premier League side Chelsea, actively pursuing his signature.
However, Chelsea are currently unable to meet Osimhen’s release clause, with Napoli demanding €130 million for the Nigerian forward.
However, with Napoli manager Antonio Conte expressing a strong interest in Chelsea’s Belgian forward Romelu Lukaku and Osimhen’s ambition to play in the Premier League, there remains a possibility that the former Lille striker could join Chelsea before the transfer window closes.
Collymore on Victor Osimhen: Record fees and weight of expectation
Collymore has cautioned that such a record-breaking transfer fee may lead to undue expectations, echoing the challenges faced by previous high-profile signings under similar scrutiny.
“That player, whoever it was, got talked about way beyond whether they were good, bad or indifferent on the pitch. It was always that the record signing would be expected to make the difference which I always thought was very unfair,” the 53-year-old told Caught Offside.
“At this point of a window previously, we might’ve expected a number of clubs to be breaking their transfer records but they haven’t, so all of a sudden we’re going back to the sort of mid to late 90s outlier.
“The big-name signing that won’t just entertain us but will also become the poster boy of both his club and the entire Premier League.”
“That could well be the case for Victor Osimhen if his rumoured move to Chelsea comes off, because the mind-boggling numbers then put unfair pressure and expectation on him.”
It is worth mentioning that Collymore’s transfer from Nottingham Forest to Liverpool for £8.5 million set a British record back in 1995.
