In an exclusive interview with Yaysweepstakes.com, Emmanuel Petit has described similarities between Chelsea target Victor Osimhen and club icon Diego Costa.
Petit has also urged his former side to sign Lucas Chevalier to fix their goalkeeping woes and said that Mikel Arteta is coming to the end of his time as Arsenal manager.
The World Cup winner has also warned Liverpool that if they repeat their first-leg performance, PSG will knock them out of the Champions League.
Q: Was Romelu Lukaku right to criticise Chelsea?
EP: “Romelu Lukaku has been very hurt in the past by criticism, including about his weight, his dedication and his commitment to Chelsea when he was there.
“He wasn’t scoring as many goals and the finger was pointed at him, in Italy it’s the opposite. He is loved and is given confidence, he can show his quality.
“He’s not the only one that felt that way at Chelsea, look at Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Hakim Ziyech.
“There is no doubt that Lukaku gave his all for Chelsea, but my advice to him now would be to move on. He should forget about what happened and move forward in Italy.”
Q: Will Chelsea’s owners be on the lookout for a striker?
EP: “Chelsea’s owners will be looking to bring more players in, despite spending so much money over the last two years.
“I think the goalkeeper and the striker will be a position to look at, maybe the wingers as well. Their wingers have quality but not up to the standard required for the club.
“Especially if the club is back in the Champions League next season, they will be competing at a higher level where the demands are bigger mentally and physically as well as expectations being higher.”
Q: Would Victor Osimhen be a good fit for Chelsea?
EP: “My concerns with Victor Osimhen would be with his personality and character, it can be a great thing for the team if it fits in, but it can also be difficult in other teams.
“We all know his qualities and what he can bring to the team, he can score goals and bring character, he reminds me of Diego Costa in that sense, he is a fighter.
“In terms of personality and character it can be a lot, but he is very versatile, but there might just be better options on the market this summer.”
Q: Who is the solution to Chelsea’s goalkeeping woes?
EP: “I think the answer to Chelsea’s goalkeeping problem is Lucas Chevalier. He is a player of vital importance to Lille in both Ligue 1 and in the Champions League.
“He has had so many amazing performances this season, in the games against Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid he reminded me of Alisson, especially what Alisson did against PSG.
“He’s been learning the position for three years and improving as time goes one, he is a huge prospect and I’ve been told PSG might be interested with pressure on Gianluigi Donnarumma.
“Chevalier is confident and has been doing incredible things, he could be available for about £25million and is only 23, he would fit in perfectly for what they are trying to do at Chelsea.”
Q: Is Jobe Bellingham ready to step up from Sunderland to Chelsea?
EP: “I have a lot of respect for Jobe Bellingham, but he isn’t ready to play for Chelsea, they cannot be compared to Sunderland in any way.
“It would be a jump of three or four steps, he is doing great things at Sunderland and has been linked to many top clubs, but he wouldn’t be right for Chelsea. That shouldn’t be their priority.”
Arsenal
Q: Is Jonathan David ready for a move to Arsenal?
EP: “Arsenal have been linked with a move for Jonathan David, but I think it would be too soon for him. Many players have done well with Lille and then struggled elsewhere, Nicolas Pepe is the warning.
“I have a huge respect for Jonathan David. I think he’s got great qualities, but if you want to compete with the best, you have to sign one of the best players in the world for the positions you need.
“You need to sign one of the top three strikers in the world and one of them is already in the Premier League in Alexander Isak. He would bring incredible things to Arsenal.
“He doesn’t get injured, he has huge ambitions, he has desire, he has quality. He is physical, fast, scores goals, gets assists. He is a nightmare to play against.
“Okay, he’s expensive, but do you want to improve? Do you want to fight for the title? Do you want to fight for the biggest trophies or do you want to stay second or third in the table?
“Ask yourself the right question and find the right answers. I have respect for players like David and Benjamin Sesko, but Isak is the one. Imagine him playing in an even better side, how good he could be.”
Q: Is Mikel Arteta heading into his final season as Arsenal manager?
EP: “Mikel Arteta looks tired and frustrated, you can see it on his face. He has anger in his eyes, in the space of weeks.
“Arsenal lost the plot in the Premier League having been fighting with Liverpool, the West Ham game at home looked difficult to accept for him.
“He’s going into his sixth full season as Arsenal manager, he has improved a lot and he has my full respect as do his staff. The identity and the mentality have been transformed, the DNA on and off the pitch.
“I thank Mikel for what he has done, but we are reaching the end of his story at Arsenal. The energy is no longer there and something is missing through no fault of his own, I think it’s down to lacking the right squad to do what he wants to do.
“Look at when William Saliba was missing in the title race, when it gets down to these pivotal moments, they lack the options, the story keeps on repeating itself.
“I won’t point the finger at Arteta, the staff have improved collectively. But fighting to be a champion you need the tools to do it, the depth and quality are not right despite the chances to make it right.
“It looks like history will keep repeating itself.”
Q: What do you expect from Chelsea vs Arsenal?
EP: “Chelsea vs Arsenal, is always a competitive game, but the pressure will be on Chelsea. They are desperate for points to get into the Champions League and have plenty of big games coming up until the end of the season.
“For Arsenal, they need to secure second but they have a big game over the teams in sixth and seventh.
“There are 10 games to go so this is a big derby, anything can happen but I think the pressure is on Chelsea to go and get a win at home given their recent performances, with Arsenal still in the Champions League.”
Others
Q: Can PSG stun Liverpool at Anfield?
EP: “If Liverpool repeat their performance from the first leg, they will get knocked out of the Champions League. PSG played so well and Liverpool only stayed in the game because they had Spider-Man in goal.
“Liverpool looked scared, scared to come out with the ball. They won with their only shot and that is football sometimes, but PSG won’t be concerned by the atmosphere at Anfield.
“They have personality and are more mature than they used to be. Liverpool’s big players were ghosts in the first leg and their attitude needs to change or they will get hurt.”
Q: What do you make of the World Cup final having a half-time show?
EP: “Football is becoming more and more of an American sport and my message to Gianni Infantino would be that FIFA are at risk of losing millions of fans.
“FIFA have realised that some younger fans maybe just want to watch highlights, they spend games on their phones, they are not as passionate about clubs and players, it’s like it’s just a show.
“That’s why we see more commercials and now this half-time show, I do think football has to evolve, but those running the game have to be worried about cutting out the traditional fans.
“FIFA and UEFA are changing the game, but not all fans are of this new young generation. They need to be careful.”
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo
Q: Will scoring 1000 goals make Cristiano Ronaldo better than Lionel Messi?
EP: “Cristiano Ronaldo is closing in on 1000 goals, but there is no way I could ever choose between him or Lionel Messi.
“That’s like asking which supercar you like the most or which food or which beautiful woman.
“Messi, Ronaldo, Pele, Diego Maradona, Michel Platini, Johan Cruyff, Zinedine Zidane. Don’t ask me! I love them all.”
This interview was conducted on March 11th 2025 by the Yay Sweepstakes Social Sportsbooks team.