Victor Osimhen is a man in demand

The Ligue 1 star has been tearing it up for LOSC Lille in the 2019/20 season, scoring 18 goals in all competitions and also providing six assists.

Just 21, he signed for the French club from Belgian side Sporting Charleroi just last summer and has taken to Ligue 1 football like a duck to water.

A Nigeria international with eight caps, scoring four goals, Osimhen is a versatile presence, capable of playing as a centre-forward or as a left winger.

He has primarily operated as a striker this season, even scoring in the Champions League defeat against Chelsea in October.

That has led to interest from across Europe, including Serie A club Napoli, and Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham Hotspur, per Sport Witness.

However, it appears that a new club have now entered the race to snap up the fleet-footed forward.

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That would be the newly-crowned Premier League champions Liverpool.

Indeed, RAI Sport journalist Ciro Venerato, via Sport Witness, claims that the Reds are pushing to snap up the forward as they attempt to strengthen a squad that has been in superb form this season.

Venerato claims that Napoli are interested in signing him, but he says that Liverpool CEO Peter Moore could have an impact on the deal.

Speaking to Radio Kiss Kiss, as transcribed by Sport Witness, he said: “In England, there have been contacts, live meetings with the Liverpool chief scout.

“This agent is very close to the Liverpool CEO, who is pushing a lot for Osimhen, but the timing of the market is different from ours.

“The player continues to be of interest to the Reds, United and Tottenham, but the times are dilated.

“Napoli have the advantage because they have a definite agreement with Lille, his club are pressing him so that he accepts the blue shirt.

“As mentioned earlier, in England, the market is made at the end of the season, and the French club cannot wait.”

GIVEMESPORT’S Harry Sherlock says…

Osimhen would be absolutely perfect for Liverpool.

They have a number of options up front, including Roberto Firmino and Divock Origi, but there is a lack of quality beyond the Brazilian.

Origi has scored just five goals in all competitions this season and clearly isn’t trusted to lead the line by boss Jurgen Klopp.

He has made just six starts this term and one has to think that upgrading on the Belgian, and providing proper competition to Firmino, ought to be a priority for the champions.

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Osimhen has scored goals throughout this season but he would absolutely be a gamble; he has spent just one season in an elite European league, though he was an excellent goalscorer in Belgium too.

He scored 12 goals in 25 games for Charleroi and is not 22 until December.

He has plenty of room to grow and improve and learn under both Firmino and Klopp’s tutelage.

He has a value of £24.3 million per Transfermarkt, and a deal at that sort of price would be excellent value for the Reds.