Share!
Osimhen ranked among UCL fastest forwards amid transfer links
Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen has been ranked as the 11th fastest centre forward in the UEFA Champions League, clocking a top speed of 33.45 km/h, even as Barcelona and Atletico Madrid continue to circle around the Galatasaray talisman ahead of the summer transfer window, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The data, released by the CIES Football Observatory using exclusive Gradient tracking technology to measure maximum running speeds across Champions League matches, places the 27-year-old among the elite forwards in European football.
Kylian Mbappe leads all centre forwards with 35.67 km/h, followed by Lois Openda at 35.16 km/h and Hugo Ekitike at 34.91 km/h, while Colombian forward Luis Suarez of Sporting Lisbon sits four places above Osimhen at seventh with 33.92 km/h.
Beyond raw speed, the CIES data revealed a telling pattern in Osimhen’s movement. The Nigerian ranked second in the entire Champions League for distance covered at speeds below 7 km/h, accounting for 41.9 per cent of his total movement during matches. Mbappe leads the category at 43.5 per cent, with the Colombian Suarez at 40.1 per cent — a shared trait among Europe’s most dangerous forwards, who conserve energy before exploding at decisive moments.
Osimhen has been equally prolific in terms of record-breaking. He became the fastest player in Galatasaray’s history to reach 50 goals, doing so in just 59 appearances. He has since moved to 52 goals for the club, surpassing Bafetimbi Gomis to become Galatasaray’s fourth-highest scoring foreign player of all time.
Despite the growing interest from Spain, Osimhen appears settled in Istanbul. Reports from Turkish outlet Elipshaber indicate that the striker’s camp is comfortable at RAMS Park and is not considering a move at the moment, with the Nigerian focused on helping Galatasaray advance in the Champions League.
Barcelona’s interest has been publicly backed by former Arsenal forward Thierry Henry, who urged the Catalan club to move for Osimhen, describing him as one of the formidable scorers the club needs up front.
Atletico Madrid’s pursuit, meanwhile, is complicated by the striker’s reported annual earnings of around 14 million euros — a figure that sits well outside the Spanish club’s wage structure.
With the Super Eagles set to face Jordan in a friendly between March 23 and 31, Osimhen’s numbers serve as a reminder of what coach Eric Chelle has at his disposal, as Nigeria also await a FIFA verdict on their World Cup qualifying protest against DR Congo
No related posts.
