Lille Metropole striker Victor Osimhen says he turned down Arsenal in 2015 to join German club Wolfsburg to continue his development.
The 21-year-old moved to Wolfsburg in 2016 after impressing during Nigeria’s run to FIFA U-17 World Cup glory in Chile the previous summer.
The young forward however failed to make an impact at the club and was eventually sold to Belgian outfit Charleroi.
He joined French Ligue 1 outfit Lille last summer and has scored 18 goals with six assists in 38 appearances in all competitions.
Speculation over Osimhen’s future with Lille looks set to intensify in the coming months and he has now admitted that he could have already been on the books of one of the world’s biggest clubs if he’d opted for a different path as a teenager.
“I spoke with Arsene Wenger after the tournament ended and he wanted me to come to Arsenal,” he told the Independent.
“I had a lot of options. Barcelona, Inter, Atletico Madrid, Juventus and the rest.”
“Arsenal was a good option but it wasn’t the best at the time. I wanted to start playing as soon as I turned 18.”
“I wanted to go to a place where I had time to invest in my game and improve physically. Wolfsburg showed me that possibility.”
The Super Eagles striker also added that he would love to play in English top-flight someday, insisting that Odion Ighalo who is a big brother to him has advised him over a possible switch to England.
“Of course, one day I’d like to play for a big club in England,”
“I’ve spoken to Odion [Ighalo] about it. He gave me very good advice, he’s a legend and a big brother. My goal is to play at one of the biggest clubs in the world but now I’m very happy in Lille.
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