CHELSEA HAVE A 16 Y/O RISING STAR WHO COULD BECOME THEIR ANSWER TO OSIMHEN
Chelsea were busy yet again in the transfer market this summer, spending around £200m on ten new players, plus bringing Jadon Sancho in on loan on deadline day.
However, one area of focus was the striking department for the Blues this summer, something they failed to address. This leaves Chelsea with Nicolas Jackson, and new signing, 18-year-old Marc Guiu, as the only out-and-out number nines.
Jackson made 44 appearances in all competitions for Chelsea last season, scoring 17 goals, providing six assists, and totalling 3,534 minutes played.
He's full of life and full of potential, but he's no Victor Osimhen...
Osimhen's failed move to Stamford Bridge
Fabrizio Romano broke the news that Osimhen's potential move to Chelsea had collapsed on deadline day, only for the Nigerian striker to agree a loan move to Galatasaray days later.
In the process, he agreed to a deal with Napoli that saw his release clause lowered to around £63m. So, perhaps a move could be revived for the striking sensation in the future?
Osimhen made 32 appearances for Napoli in all competitions last season, scoring 17 times and supplying four assists across 2,476 minutes played.
| Osimhen stats | |
|---|---|
| Stat (per 90 mins) | Osimhen |
| Non-Penalty Goals | 0.50 |
| Shots Total | 3.47 |
| Assists | 0.12 |
| Shot-Creating Actions | 2.52 |
| Progressive Carries | 1.53 |
| Touches (Att Pen) | 6.48 |
| Aerials Won | 1.78 |
| Stats taken from FBref |
The Nigerian talisman could have offered everything the Blues are looking for, with an abundance of box presence, a clinical nature in front of goal, and an outstanding aerial threat.
Perhaps an option lies in the academy?
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Chelsea's in-house Osimhen solution
Chelsea could have a world-class striker talent in their ranks already, with scout Jacek Kulig even calling him "one of the most talented CFs of his generation". We are, of course, talking about Shumaira Mheuka.
The 16-year-old striker scored 10 goals in 17 appearances for the Chelsea U18 side last season, also providing two assists. That form has already earned Mhueka a spot in the U21 team this campaign, starting two of the three PL2 games so far, despite only being 16 years old.
Mheuka is blessed with an abundance of pace and power, just like Osimhen, which he uses extremely well when using his body to carve out shooting opportunities for himself, and getting away from opposition players.
The teenager is an incredibly instinctive finisher, who makes clever box movements to find himself pockets of space, before manipulating the ball to find half a yard and release the trigger.
Being so young, there is still plenty of time for Mheuka to develop traits, but one negative, as stated by the aforementioned Kulig, is his usage of his frame in aerial duels, to offer a significant aerial threat, something that Osimhen would give Chelsea.
The instinctive finishing of Mheuka is something Jackson is often criticised for, and would therefore offer a much-needed boost in that department. The Blues forward has performed at a -0.09 Goals- xG per 90 for the last 365 days, further proof of his wasted chances in front of goal.
Expected Goals (xG) is a metric designed to measure the probability of a shot resulting in a goal.
As Mheuka progresses through the Chelsea academy ranks and continues to develop both his quality and physicality, he could pose a serious threat to Jackson later down the line, adding extra composure, box threat, and striking instincts.
And who knows, if he develops into a bigger frame, he could even pose the same aerial threat as an Osimhen, making even a move for him, less important.
In The Pipeline
Football FanCast's In the Pipeline series uncovers the very best wonderkids in world football. Every club dreams of having the next Mbappe in their academy, don't they?