Liverpool suffer setback in bid to sign Osimhen as Lille president says he is going nowhere

ENGLISH Premier League giants Liverpool has suffered a major blow in its bid to sign Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen next season after his French club Lille ruled out any transfer taking place over the summer.

Osimhen, 20, is one of the hottest strikers in the world at the moment, having scored 18 goals in 36 matches across all competitions. He continues to attract interest from Europe's elite clubs in Spain and England, with Barcelona, Real Madrid and Liverpool in particular hot on his heels and keen to sign him at the end of the season.

However, Lille president Gerard Lopez, has assured the club's fans that Osimhen will remain at the club for the 2020/21 season. He insisted that the Super Eagle is going nowhere in the summer, except for circumstances beyond his control.

Mr Lopez said: "Osimhen will be at Lille next season but afterwards, there are factors that I cannot control. I do not control the fact that a club arrives and offers a salary six or eight times higher than what we can offer but I think sometimes it's better not to take a big salary and wait until next season".

In his latest match over the weekend, Osimhen provided an assist as Lille ran out 3-0 winners against Toulouse. This latest victory keeps Lille's Champions League hopes alive as the team remains fourth in the French league.