Former Sierra Leone international Michael Lahoud has named Victor Osimhen among Europe’s best three strikers, alongside Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe.
Lahoud made the claim while discussing Galatasaray’s chances of finishing in the top eight of the Champions League league phase. He also backed Rafael Leao’s arrival to strengthen the Turkish champions.
“Galatasaray has arguably the best striker in Europe right now alongside Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe and Victor Osimhen.
“I stand on business when I say that the numbers don’t lie when it comes to the Champions League. But the fact that Galatasaray have Rafael Leao, I think that becomes a real X factor.
“Galatasaray will finish the Champions League league phase in the top eight this season,” Lahoud said via CBS Sports Golazo Network.
A comparison of league and European output from 2025/26 puts the claim against the records of Kane, Mbappe and Erling Haaland.
| Player | League Goals | League Assists | UCL Goals | UCL Assists | Total Goals |
| Harry Kane | 36 | 5 | 14 | 2 | 50 |
| Kylian Mbappe | 25 | 5 | 15 | 1 | 40 |
| Erling Haaland | 27 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 35 |
| Victor Osimhen | 15 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 22 |
Kane won the European Golden Shoe after his 36-goal Bundesliga campaign, while Mbappe finished as Europe’s premier club competition top scorer with 15.
Haaland’s 27 Premier League goals earned him the Golden Boot, and his eight strikes in Europe gave him one more than the Galatasaray forward.
The Nigerian’s seven European goals came against Liverpool, Bodø/Glimt, Ajax and Juventus. He scored once against Liverpool, twice against Bodø/Glimt, then produced a hat-trick against Ajax before netting against Juventus in the knockout play-off.
His Ajax hat-trick came in a 3-0 home victory on November 5, 2025, while the Juventus goal arrived in the second leg on February 25, 2026.
The goal rate offers another measure. Osimhen averaged 0.70 goals per European appearance, compared with 1.08 for Kane, 1.36 for Mbappe and 0.80 for Haaland.
ESPN’s 2026 FC 100 also produced a different assessment. Kane ranked first among centre-forwards, followed by Mbappe and Haaland, while Osimhen ranked ninth in the position group and 27th overall.
That assessment covers players across all positions, unlike Lahoud’s striker-specific claim, but it places the Galatasaray forward below the three players named alongside him.
His opening three league matches have provided a stronger start to the new campaign. He scored twice against Çorum FK, twice against Erzurumspor and once against Göztepe, while supplying assists against Erzurumspor and Göztepe.
Mbappe also opened the campaign with four goals in three league appearances, including a hat-trick against Real Sociedad. Haaland scored twice in Manchester City’s first two league matches, while Kane had yet to find the net in his opening Bundesliga appearance.
