Former West Ham and Southampton defender Jose Fonte has voiced his disappointment over Chelsea’s failure to secure Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen during the January transfer window.

Despite being linked to the Blues since last summer, Osimhen opted for a season-long loan move to Galatasaray from Napoli.

Fonte compared Osimhen to Chelsea legend Didier Drogba, believing the striker could have replicated Drogba’s success at Stamford Bridge:

“Chelsea are crying out for a striker like Victor Osimhen. He could be another Didier Drogba for them. He has pace, power, and technical quality.”

The defender, who faced Osimhen in the Champions League, described the Nigerian international as a “nightmare” for defenders:

“Once Osimhen gets into the Premier League, I think he will bully defenders. He’s aggressive, fast, clever, and powerful.”

Fonte expressed surprise that no Premier League club secured Osimhen’s signature, labeling it a “foolish” decision given his immense potential.

Chelsea’s ongoing search for a clinical striker continues to be a point of concern, with many fans and pundits echoing Fonte’s sentiments.

Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that Kylian Mbappé will miss Real Madrid’s upcoming Copa del Rey quarter-final against Leganes due to a bruised calf. Mbappé was injured in the weekend’s 1-0 La Liga defeat to Espanyol after a reckless challenge from Carlos Romero, who avoided a red card. The French striker trained on Monday but will not feature in Wednesday’s match.

Ancelotti also took the opportunity to continue his criticism of Spanish refereeing. Real Madrid sent a formal letter to the Spanish football federation accusing the refereeing system of being “rigged” and “completely discredited” after Romero’s challenge.

The Madrid boss reiterated his stance, emphasizing the need for an explanation regarding the failure to protect players’ welfare during the match.

In addition to Mbappé’s absence, Ancelotti confirmed that Jude Bellingham will also miss the Leganes game with a knock. The manager also announced that David Alaba, who recently returned from a knee injury, will be sidelined for 2-3 weeks with a thigh injury.

Alaba will miss crucial fixtures, including the La Liga derby against Atletico Madrid and the Champions League play-off clash against Manchester City.

Antonio Rudiger is another doubt for the Leganes clash due to a thigh injury, leaving Real Madrid short on defensive options. With Eder Militao and Dani Carvajal already long-term absentees, Ancelotti may have to rely on Raul Asencio and Aurelien Tchouameni as center-back partners for the upcoming matches.

Ancelotti acknowledged the difficulty of the current injury crisis, stating: “Unfortunately in the last two days we’ve lost two important players, that’s something we did not contemplate… Alaba was ready to play tomorrow, as he had good feelings.

Ajax forward Chuba Akpom has reiterated his commitment to representing the Super Eagles of Nigeria.

The 29-year-old, born in London to Nigerian parents, previously played for England at youth level but switched international allegiance to Nigeria in 2019. Despite making himself available for selection, he has yet to receive an invitation to join the three-time African champions.

“I try to give 100%. I’ve been waiting since 2019. I’ve switched allegiances a long time ago, but if it happens, it happens. I’ll just keep working hard,” Akpom told Oma Sports.

Explaining his decision to represent Nigeria, the former Arsenal academy star noted that it’s not about players choosing Nigeria as a second option.

“It’s not that the players are switching over because they can’t play for England. It’s just that they’ve not had the opportunity to play for Nigeria from a young age. They play in England and they play for England from youth levels all the way up,” Akpom added.

The Ajax striker continues to hope for a chance to contribute to the success of the Super Eagles.