Victor Osimhen, a soccer star, is having a memorable season right now. The Napoli striker, who has been so effective in helping his team win the Italian Serie A, is perhaps the best forward in the world right now. In Europe’s top five leagues, he is unquestionably the striker who is in the best shape.

And if career stats are a marker – Osimhen could even be on his way to becoming an all-time great.On Friday, the Nigeria international scored in Napoli’s 2-0 league win against Sassuolo for his 100th career goal, reaching triple figures quicker than either Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.However, two current players, Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland, have scored 100 career goals in fewer games than Osimhen. Those two forwards, of course, have a strong claim to being regarded as the world’s best attacker.

In Europe’s top five leagues – the English Premier League, Serie A, La Liga, Ligue 1 and the Bundesliga – only Haaland, with 26 goals, has scored more than Osimhen this season.The 24-year-old Osimhen, Napoli’s record signing when he joined from Ligue 1 side Lille in 2020, has scored 18 goals this campaign, six goals ahead of his nearest challenger for the Serie A Golden Boot. His 33rd-minute strike Friday was his seventh successive goal in Serie A.

He can score with either foot and is also dominant in the air so it is perhaps unsurprising that he is being linked with Europe’s richest clubs.His form has been integral in Napoli’s remarkable season and the team looks likely to become Italian champion, leading Serie A by 18 points. It would only be the third title in Napoli’s history and the first since Diego Maradona led the club to league glory in the 1989-90 season.