Porto legend Ricardo Quaresma has hailed Nigeria and Galatasaray forward Victor Osimhen as one of the best strikers in the world, Soccernet.ng reports.
Quaresma rates Osimhen above Liverpool’s attacking duo of Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike as well as Arsenal’s summer signing Gyökeres.
In a viral social media clip, the former Chelsea and Barcelona winger took part in a ‘pick one’ challenge, where he had to select his preferred striker from a series of head-to-head choices.
When presented with Osimhen’s image, Quaresma repeatedly picked the Nigerian over several of Europe’s elite forwards.
The first comparison came against Borussia Dortmund’s in-form Guinean striker Serhou Guirassy, and Quaresma went for Osimhen without hesitation. The same choice was made when the Nigerian was paired against Germany’s Nick Woltemade and Arsenal’s Viktor Gyökeres, who has been impressive since joining the Gunners from Sporting Lisbon.
Even when Osimhen was matched up against Liverpool’s new attacking pair of Isak and Ekitike, Quaresma stood firm in favour of the Super Eagles star.
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Osimhen: Galatasaray’s Nigerian hero outshining Premier League stars
The only moment Osimhen did not come out on top was when Quaresma had to choose between him and Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martínez. Quaresma opted for the Argentine forward.
The former Besiktas and Inter Milan star would later admit that loyalty influenced his decision when he picked Cristiano Ronaldo over Martínez and Harry Kane, before choosing Erling Haaland as his top striker in the world.
Ironically, both Liverpool and Arsenal were heavily linked with Osimhen last summer before choosing alternative routes. Liverpool went for Isak and Ekitike, while Arsenal landed Gyökeres. The contrast since then has been striking: Gyökeres has settled somewhat in London, Ekitike has shown flashes of promise, while Isak is still adjusting to life at Anfield.
Osimhen, meanwhile, has continued to flourish on the continental stage. After joining Galatasaray permanently following a stellar loan spell, he has lit up the Champions League. The former Lille and Napoli star has scored six goals in just three matches, including strikes against Liverpool, Bodø/Glimt, and Ajax.
That tally not only makes him the highest-scoring Nigerian in Champions League history but also puts him ahead of Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, and Harry Kane in this season’s scoring chart.