Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has attributed the club’s refusal to pursue a move for Victor Osimhen to the arrival of Jude Bellingham.
Off the back of an excellent season where he netted 31 times in 39 games across all competitions, Osimhen was wanted by several elite sides, including Chelsea, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain, as well as Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Hilal.
Having parted ways with star striker Karim Benzema earlier in the transfer window, Real Madrid were expected to show a significant interest in acquiring the services of Osimhen, but they opted to sign Joselu instead to strengthen their centre-forward department.
Speaking to the media, Los Blancos head coach Ancelotti has now explained why the La Liga giants did not attempt a swoop for Victor Osimhen.
“Osimhen is one of the strongest strikers in Europe, but we never thought of him,” said Ancelotti.
“With the arrival of Bellingham, we thought of making up for Benzema’s farewell in other ways.”
Real Madrid need a striker like Victor Osimhen
Since Benzema’s departure, Madrid have switched to a 4-4-2 formation, which gives Bellingham more freedom to get into goalscoring positions.
🚨🏴 Jude Bellingham as a '9' is an idea Carlo Ancelotti is thinking of. @diarioas #rmalive pic.twitter.com/THuRZ7IWqn
— Madrid Zone (@theMadridZone) August 22, 2023
The Englishman has excelled so far, with three goals in his opening two matches, but his ruthlessness in front of goal cannot be compared to that of a natural striker as good as Victor Osimhen.
Osimhen has developed a reputation for finding the back of the net in near-impossible situations, and as good as Bellingham is in other facets of play, he simply does not have that in his locker.
Taking a quick glance at all the great Madrid teams of yesteryear, one thing they all have in common is an elite goalscorer, and the current side could certainly do with one.
With Osimhen currently close to putting pen to paper on a new deal with Napoli, Madrid may have missed their golden opportunity to land Europe’s most in-demand hitman, but you never know what the future holds.
This article was most recently revised and updated 2 months ago
