Glen Johnson believes Victor Osimhen has not yet done enough to warrant comparisons with Chelsea icon Didier Drogba, contrary to some recent statements. The 24-year-old striker has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League recently as he continues to impress for Napoli this season.
Osimhen, who sees his deal with the Italian giants expire in 2025, has featured 23 times in the Serie A for Luciano Spalletti's side this term, directly contributing towards 26 goals. His stunning displays have guided Napoli 19 points clear of second-placed Lazio in the race to win the Scudetto, thus reportedly courting the interest of Chelsea and Arsenal.
The Nigeria international's performances have also caught the eye of Jose Mourinho, with the Roma boss likening Osimhen to Drogba. The Blues have struggled to replace the Ivorian, with only Diego Costa and Olivier Giroud coming close to fulfilling target man role at Stamford Bridge.
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Chelsea have experimented with the likes of Timo Werner, Kai Havertz and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang but neither have enjoyed much success. As quoted by Goal, Mourinho said: "He is of the same level as Drogba, but Didier didn’t dive. If Victor changes, then OK.
"I’d buy him if I was at a club with a lot of money. However, if he does go to England one day, he needs to change, because in Italy they put up with this sort of behaviour, whereas in the Premier League, they’d come down hard on him."
The former Blues boss continued by revealing what advice he has given to the £150m-rated star. Mourinho said: "I told him that he scored a wonderful goal and needs to stop diving so much. His goal was fantastic, he did the same thing when we met earlier this season, so he’s a fantastic player. But he mustn’t dive."
In an interview with Lord Ping, Johnson explained why the Drogba comparisons are premature. He said: "Victor Osimhen is currently scoring at an alarming rate - he is currently shy of a goal per game, which is something you cannot ignore.
"It's hard to compare him to Drogba, Drogba was a beast for Chelsea! He was fast, strong and had good technical ability in the Premier League. Osimhen is an exciting talent who knows where the goal is. If he can adapt, he will thrive in the Premier League."
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