Victor Osimhen says he rejected Arsenal in order to sign for Wolfsburg as he feels he will have more playing opportunities with the Bundesliga side.
The 18-year-old has joined Wolfsburg on a three-and-a-half-year deal from Nigerian side Ultimate Strikers Academy in a deal reportedly worth €3.5 million.
Osimhen, who was named CAF’s Youth Player of the Year in 2015, was targeted by Arsenal and had also been linked with moves to Serie A sides Inter and Fiorentina.
But the forward feels a first-team breakthrough is more likely at Wolfsburg than it would have been at the Emirates Stadium.
“There were many clubs that were interested in me,” Osimhen told Bild.
“But my choice was Wolfsburg because I think that my development opportunities are highest here.
“If I had gone to Arsenal, for example, I might not have found the route to the first team so quickly.
“I love football and I have worked hard to get where I am now.”
The 18-year-old Nigerian signed for the Bundesliga club from Ultimate Strikers in the summer and has been training at the club’s training camp in La Manga.
The club announced that the Nigerian was presented after an agreement was reached with Ultimate strikers.
“Since January 1st, Victor Osimhen has officially been a part of VfL Wolfsburg. Upon beginning their collaboration with the Ultimate Striker’s Academy, the 18-year-old Nigerian and the Wolves had the intention of definitively finalising the move as from 2017.
“At the training camp in La Manga, the 1,85 meter tall attacker, was officially presented as a Green-White on Thursday”, the club announced in a statement.
“We have been intensively observing Victor’s development over a long period and we were able to secure the signing in spite of interest from big clubs from abroad.
Victor‘s profile totally fits into our philosophy of not only developing talented young players from within the club, but also binding foreign players to VfL in the long-term,”VfL Wolfsburg’s Sporting Director Olaf Rebbe told the club’s website on Thursday.
Osimhen’s exploits at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile, where he scored 10 goals as Nigeria claimed the title, attracted Wolfsburg who are currently 13th on the Bundesliga league table after 16 games.
Goal.com/Naij.com
