Victor Osimhen: 5 World Class Strikers That Struggled at Chelsea As Pastor Predicts Doom

• Chelsea are reportedly making inroads in the acquisition of wantaway Napoli forward Victor Osimhen
• However, the reigning African Footballer of the Year has been warned against considering a move to England
• On this note, we take a look at the five world-class strikers who struggled to impress with the Blues

Chelsea's pursuit of Romelu Lukaku's future and a potential deal for Victor Osimhen has sparked much discussion, especially given the club's history with strikers.

Stamford Bridge, often described as a graveyard for forwards, has seen numerous top talents arrive with high expectations only to leave with their reputations tarnished.

Chelsea's history with strikers

While legends like Didier Drogba carved out a place in the club's history and the likes of Tammy Abraham and Diego Costa found some success, they are the exceptions rather than the rule.

Read also

How Chelsea are avoiding getting banned despite signing too many players

Strikers who have emerged from West London with their reputations intact are few and far between.

Consider Nicolas Anelka, who had a decent stint, but beyond these names lies a long list of attackers who failed to live up to their billing, much to the frustration of fans.

This trend has led many to wonder if there is something peculiar about Chelsea that causes even the most promising strikers to falter—whether it’s a matter of poor fit, bad luck, or perhaps even a curse.

Renowned Nigerian prophet warns Osimhen against joining Chelsea

In light of this, the potential arrival of Osimhen has raised eyebrows, particularly after Nigerian prophet Primate Elijah Ayodele issued a stark warning.

According to Complete Sports, the spiritual leader who founded the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church cautioned the Napoli hitman against making the move to Chelsea, suggesting that it could have detrimental effects on his career.

Read also

Ronaldinho's son leaves Barcelona for English club

Given this context, it’s worth reflecting on the fate of some of the world-class strikers who have struggled at Chelsea, reinforcing the notion that wearing the blue shirt is a challenge not to be underestimated.

Five world-class strikers who failed at Chelsea

On this note, YEN.com.gh takes a look at five top-notch strikers who struggled at Chelsea, including a former Ballon d'Or winner.

5. Gonzalo Higuain

Higuaín matched the Serie A record with 36 goals in a single season at Napoli, but his Premier League stint was less impressive.

Most of his goals came against relegated teams like Huddersfield and Fulham, with a few more against Burnley and Watford.

Despite his star status, the former Real Madrid forward struggled to make an impact in attack, where Eden Hazard found better chemistry with Giroud.

4. Radamel Falcao

Nicknamed El Tigre, which translates into English as The Tiger owing to his predatory instincts in the box, Radamel Falcao had a less-than-ideal stint in England, per Football London.

Read also

Mourinho 'blames' referees after Fenerbahce's Champions League exit

Falcao's time at Manchester United was disappointing, yet he still managed to score four times more goals than he did at Chelsea, where his lone goal came in a loss to Crystal Palace.

He featured in 12 games, six of which ended in defeat, and recurring injuries saw him excluded from the Champions League squad for the latter half of the season.

3. Romelu Lukaku

Romelu Lukaku's return to Chelsea was initially seen as a dream homecoming.

After establishing himself as a world-class striker, he rejoined a squad fresh off a Champions League victory, seemingly the final piece in the puzzle.

While some questioned the hefty £100 million fee Chelsea paid to Inter Milan, Lukaku's impressive goal-scoring record appeared to justify the investment.

However, after a strong start against Arsenal, Lukaku struggled to adapt to Thomas Tuchel's system, looking out of sync and sluggish.

Read also

Chelsea make Osimhen priority after Omorodion deal collapsed, reports

As a result, he was loaned out to AS Roma and is now on the brink of leaving the club this summer—a reunion that fell far short of expectations.

2. Fernando Torres

Torres' Chelsea career was troubled from the start. His debut saw a loss to Liverpool, followed by a 13-game goal drought and difficulty pairing with Didier Drogba.

Unlike the others on this list, Torres had his moments, scoring in the 2013 Europa League Final and sealing the deal in Chelsea’s famous Champions League semi-final at Camp Nou.

In hindsight, if Torres had declined a move to West London, maybe he could have reached legendary status at Liverpool.

1. Andriy Shevchenko

A celebrated striker during his time at AC Milan and a former Ballon d'Or winner, Shevchenko was expected to strengthen an already formidable Chelsea side under Jose Mourinho.

As one of the biggest names on the list, Shevchenko's move to Chelsea was anticipated to amplify his threat, given his impressive goal tally in Italy.

Read also

Nico Williams makes a U-turn decision about his future, says 'YES' to Barcelona

According to Transfermarkt, despite scoring over 100 goals each for his beloved Dynamo Kyiv and Milan, his Chelsea stint saw him average about 0.285 goals per game—a stark contrast to his usual deadly form, which had once made him a feared opponent.

Fabrizio Romano gives updates on Osimhen-Chelsea deal

YEN.com.gh reported that Victor Osimhen’s transfer from Napoli is nearing a resolution, with transfer expert Fabrizio Romano revealing that the final decision rests with the player.

The £113 million release clause in his 2023 contract extension poses a major hurdle.

Osimhen has stated he won't accept a lower salary and would only consider a move to Stamford Bridge if it’s a permanent transfer or a loan with a mandatory purchase clause.

Source: YEN.com.gh