Victor Osimhen’s AFCON bust-up highlights character flaw that may have ended Premier League dream | OneFootball

Victor Osimhen should have been the headline act of a striker-hungry 2025 Premier League summer transfer window.

Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool needed a prolific striker, but none of them batted an eyelid at Victor Osimhen.

While that raised eyebrows, his bust-up with Nigerian teammate Ademola Lookman at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) made it clear why he was hardly in demand.

Osimhen is one of the best strikers in the world. But his character has been called into question several times, and it ultimately cost him a big-money move to the Premier League.

His spat with Lookman during the 4-0 last 16 win against Mozambique wasn’t the first time he has made the headlines for his volatile temperament rather than his world-class goalscoring ability.

Osimhen is passionate and doesn’t shy away from confrontation. That can be a positive, but it becomes more of a red flag when that passion spills into repeated confrontations.

He has been involved in several spats over the past four years. The first was with Nigerian legend and 1994 AFCON winner Victor Ikpeba.

After calling Osimhen out for his performance in the second leg of the 2022 World Cup play-off against Ghana, the striker responded by calling Ikpeba ‘useless’ on social media.

Two years later, Osimhen took on interim Nigeria head coach Finidi George after he questioned the striker’s commitment during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Osimhen responded with an extraordinary rant on Instagram, and former Nigerian striker Odion Ighalo had to intervene in the row.

The issue with Lookman was only the latest in a long list. Nigerian head coach Eric Chelle did well to handle the issue internally, but it only adds to the growing questions about Osimhen’s character.

Osimhen was available for around £75 million in 2025 when Napoli were desperate to get him off their books.

That asking price was a drop in the ocean, but no Premier League team seized the chance to snap him up and looked elsewhere for reinforcements.

Arsenal signed Viktor Gyokeres, Chelsea opted for Liam Delap and Joao Pedro, United snapped up Benjamin Sesko, while Liverpool splashed the cash on Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike. 

That left Osimhen’s dream of a Premier League move in the cold.

Some people put their reluctance down to the cost of striking a deal with Napoli and matching the player’s outrageous salary demands.

However, there were serious doubts about his character, and they were confirmed by interested clubs that ran background checks on the striker.

His combustible nature has landed him in trouble several times, making him a wildcard.

His controversial exit from Napoli was one thing, but the bust-up at AFCON vindicated that reluctance to pursue a move, even for one who’s considered one of the best in his generation.

Nigeria managed to put that whole episode behind them before comfortably swatting aside Algeria 2-0 to reach the AFCON semi-final.

Even if the Super Eagles don’t end up winning the competition, Osimhen has done enough to prove why he’s considered one of the best in the world after scoring four goals in five games.

The best players in the tournament usually earn big-money moves after the showcase, but Osimhen’s character flaw may have permanently ended his chances of playing in the Premier League.