Osimhen is not World Class — Ex-Chelsea star passes judgement on Super Eagles striker

Victor Osimhen’s status among football’s elite forwards has been called into question by a former Premier League great.

Ex-Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has delivered a blunt verdict on the Super Eagles star during a quick-fire assessment of today’s top strikers.

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink was asked to name which current forwards he considers truly world-class, and he reserved that label for Kylian Mbappé, Harry Kane, Robert Lewandowski and Erling Haaland.

However, when quizzed about Victor Osimhen, the former Netherlands international was clear in his assessment, placing the Super Eagles star outside that elite bracket.

Osimhen was grouped among a long list of high-profile attackers that Hasselbaink also declined to describe as world-class.

Those mentioned included Arsenal’s summer signing Viktor Gyökeres, current Ballon d’Or holder Ousmane Dembélé, Liverpool pair Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike, Inter’s Lautaro Martínez, Atlético Madrid’s Julián Álvarez, Marcus Thuram, Omar Marmoush, Gabriel Jesus, Romelu Lukaku and Richarlison.

Hasselbaink’s comments carry weight given his own pedigree as one of the Premier League’s most prolific strikers during his playing days.

The former Chelsea and Leeds United forward won the Premier League Golden Boot twice, underlining his credentials as a top-level goal scorer.

He first claimed the award in the 1998/99 season with Leeds United, scoring 18 goals in 36 appearances. He followed that up at Chelsea in the 2000/01 campaign, finishing as the league’s top scorer again with 23 goals in 35 matches.

While many fans and analysts continue to rate Osimhen among Europe’s top forwards, Hasselbaink’s verdict adds fuel to the ongoing debate over what truly defines a “world class” striker in modern football.