Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has criticised the club’s decision to sign Liam Delap instead of Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen, insisting that the fans had clearly wanted the proven goal scorer, Footynaija.com reports.
Delap, 21, was recently unveiled as Chelsea’s new attacking acquisition after the club secured a £30 million deal for the former Ipswich Town loanee.
While the young striker made his Chelsea debut in their 2-0 win over LAFC at the Club World Cup, Mikel believes the move failed to match the expectations of many supporters who had hoped to see Osimhen arrive at Stamford Bridge.
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Osimhen, 26, had been strongly linked with Chelsea last season, and a late move on deadline day appeared imminent before the deal fell through.
The Super Eagles forward subsequently joined Turkish giants Galatasaray on loan, where he produced a sensational season — scoring 37 goals, supplying 8 assists in 41 matches, and scooping up multiple individual honours including Player of the Season, Top Scorer, and Goal of the Season.
– Turkish League winner .
– Turkish League Highest Goal scorer .
– Turkish League player of the season .
– Turkish Cup winner ️.
– Turkish League best goal of the season ️.VICTOR JAMES OSIMHEN MFR) .
N|B: He came to Galatasaray 1Month and some days Late. pic.twitter.com/Lqpm1qbkwM
— Buchi Laba (@Buchi_Laba) June 17, 2025
Given his red-hot form and the Blues’ long-standing interest, Chelsea were expected to reignite their pursuit of Osimhen this summer.
But instead, the club opted to invest in Delap, a promising but largely untested talent at the top level. Delap had scored 12 Premier League goals with Ipswich last term, having only previously made a handful of appearances for Manchester City.
Reacting to Delap’s signing during DAZN’s coverage of Chelsea’s Club World Cup opener, Mikel pulled no punches.
“We need someone to come in, score goals and finish those chances. Obviously, he [Delap] isn’t the guy the fans wanted. We know who the fans wanted. The fans wanted Victor Osimhen to come to the club but he didn’t.”
“We know who the fans wanted” — John Obi Mikel talks about Osimhen-Delap.
— YabaLeftOnline (@yabaleftonline) June 17, 2025
“Obviously the club decided to go with Delap. He’s young, he’s gonna get better. Hopefully he hits the ground running and then he’s gonna quieten those doubters. I wish him well, I hope he succeeds at this club. I think he can. The runs I saw today, running behind defenders, I think he can be the guy to finish those chances.”
Mikel also underlined the importance of Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson, adding:
“But, Nic Jackson, let’s not forget, I still think he will be the main man. He just needs to work on his finishing. I still think he’s gonna be the guy to start the season. During the season, if he’s not scoring then Delap gets his opportunity. Healthy competition is really important.”
Osimhen remains a top target for a number of European giants including Real Madrid, PSG, Liverpool and Manchester United.
The former Lille forward has already rejected multiple mega offers from Saudi giants Al Hilal.
