‘Osimhen Is Playing Like Aubameyang And Score Goals Like Cavani’ – Lille Coach, Galtier Speaks

The Nigeria forward proved his goalscoring prowess in France with a return of 18 goals for the Great Danes across all competitions this season
Lille boss, Christophe Galtier has praised Super Eagles star Victor Osimhen as a similar player to Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and PSG star Edinson Cavani.

Osimhen shone in his maiden season in Ligue 1 before the 2019-20 campaign was canceled, with his contribution of 13 goals and four assists which helped Lille finish fourth on the league table.

In rewarding his dazzling form, the Nigerian international was crowned as the best African player in Ligue 1 for this season on Monday.

Galtier, in his reaction to the honour, was full of praise for Osimhen and lauded his ability to score goals, by comparing him with Cavani who won the Ligue 1 top scorer in 2016–17 and 2017–18.

“He has a great determination to want to score. He is obsessed with the goal as Cavani can be,” Galtier told RFI.

“He is a player who has great athletic potential, who is able to repeat efforts. He gives a lot of depth and speed to his game.

“He is a very important asset for a team. He improved in associations when we went to 4-4-2 to be able to combine with his partners.

“He is an axis player, powerful, who goes fast and who is quite skillful in front of goal. Obviously, he will have to continue working to improve all these qualities, and also his offensive game.”

Galtier has helped three African stars, including Osimhen, win the Marc Vivien Foe prize in his coaching career.

The Frenchman was Saint-Etienne’s manager in 2013 when Aubameyang won the coveted award, and he also guided Nicolas Pepe to clinch it before his move to Arsenal last summer.

In his assessment, he rates Osimhen as a similar player to the Gabonese star because of their hard work to achieve success while Pepe was a natural talent.

“You mentioned Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who also received the Marc-Vivien Foé Prize when he played with me in Saint-Etienne,” he said.

“But if I have to compare Victor Osimhen with Nicolas Pepe and Pierre Emerick Aubameyang whom I directed, I would say that Nicolas has an innate, intrinsic technical quality. It’s a gift.

“Aubameyang is a little bit like Victor. Aubameyang has worked a lot to reach a very very high level. He had the intelligence to go through an intermediate club with Dortmund and it was there that he integrated what was the very highest level.

“In Saint-Etienne, we managed to make it grow, to hatch it. I think Victor has this same profile in the character, in the human relationship, but also in the intrinsic qualities. In the choice he will have to make for his future club – because we will not hide our faces.”

Thanks to his fine form in front of goal, Osimhen has been attracting interest from a number of European clubs and is reportedly nearing a Lille exit.

Galtier confirmed the transfer situation around the 21-year-old and he is confident he will adapt to any league he finds himself.

“He is a player who is in great demand by many European clubs,” he continued.

“In the club project, there is the economic aspect but also in the player’s mind, it is important. If the club is happy, the president is happy, and the player too, it is that we will have worked well.

“We are all in the same state of mind. Victor wants to see what is happening at the highest level. It also fits into the club’s economic model.

“Victor will adapt to all championships. He’s a very good player. I am convinced that he can play in all championships.”

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