Frank Onyeka laughs out loud when he was asked if his £100 million-rated Nigeria teammate, Victor Osimhen will join him at Brentford after their Africa Cup of Nations heroics.
Onyeka, a Bees midfielder, started every game for the Super Eagles, who advanced to the final in Ivory Coast before losing to the hosts. Osimhen only scored once throughout that span, but his talent was evident.
The Napoli forward is in high demand, and with several Premier League big spenders looking for a frontman this summer, he might face Onyeka in England next season.
On Osimhen, Onyeka said:
“He’s a really good guy but he’s someone that wants to win,” says Onyeka when asked what it’s like to play with the highly-rated Napoli ace. “He doesn’t like to lose, even in training. He always wants to push players around him, try to encourage them. He’s a fighter.
Of course, Onyeka’s Brentford team-mate Ivan Toney is another striker top clubs could target this summer. Boss Thomas Frank reckons Toney could be worth £100m if he’s sold. For club and country, Onyeka has first-hand experience of playing with two of the world’s top forwards. So how do they compare?
“Ivan is an all-round player, he can go anywhere, he can come down into the midfield,” said Onyeka. “Osimhen is like a target man; he tries to attack the defenders for every ball. “Both are excellent strikers.”
However, another Brentford striker pushed himself into the goal of the season category last weekend. Yoanne Wissa’s spectacular overhead kick startled West London rivals Chelsea. Onyeka was ecstatic to get the assist, unwittingly popping the ball up for his teammate.