The ESPN ranks Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen among world’s top 10 strikers, with the Nigerian international occupying ninth position
Victor Osimhen, Nigeria’s international and Super Eagles striker has been placed in the ninth position in the ESPN’s list of the world’s best strikers. The ranking is regarded as a testament to the consistency Osimhen has shown for Galatasaray and Nigeria in recent seasons.
The Nigerian international is widely regarded as the finest striker in Turkey at present, having led Galatasaray to back-to-back Turkish Super Lig titles. He won the Golden Boot award in his first season at the club but missed out last season, managing 15 goals after injury problems and national team duty limited him to just 19 league starts.
Despite that, his form last season has continued to attract interest from top European clubs, including Real Madrid, Barcelona, Arsenal and Manchester United, although none of the speculation has yet materialised into a concrete move.
ESPN placed Osimhen one position above Liverpool’s Hugo Ekitike and two places behind Chelsea’s Joao Pedro, who ranked seventh, with Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane topping the list ahead of Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.
The Nigerian Osimhen is rated highly for his ability to consistently create shooting opportunities and threaten defences with his pace, movement and physicality, having averaged at least four shots per 90 minutes for five consecutive seasons.
Osimhen’s 2025/26 Champions League campaign was particularly impressive, with the striker scoring seven goals, his highest tally in a single Champions League season, as Galatasaray recorded notable victories over Liverpool and Juventus, proof, according to ESPN, that his goalscoring form in Turkey can translate to the highest level of European football.
Meanwhile, former Tottenham and Belgium defender Toby Alderweireld has urged Spurs to move ahead of north London rivals Arsenal in the race to sign Osimhen, insisting the striker would solve the goalscoring problem that troubled the club last season.
“Spurs could use a striker like Victor Osimhen; they need his goals because it’s what they lacked last season as well. The only concern for clubs like Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United is maybe his age.
“He’s not the youngest player anymore, and it seems like everyone wants to find a 23-year-old superstar who can bang in goals for the next seven or eight years, and I understand that, but you also need a good mix,” Alderweireld said in an interview with Hajper.
Tottenham have already broken their transfer record twice this summer, signing Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali for a combined £185m, in addition to Jan Paul van Hecke, Marcos Senesi, Andy Robertson and Martin Dubravka, but remain in the market for a proven forward.
