Manchester United are leading the way to sign Napoli striker Victor Osimhen this summer, Italian publication La Repubblica claims.
The Red Devils are widely expected to sign a new centre-forward and they have already been linked with a number of names including Osimhen and Darwin Nunez.
According to La Repubblica, Napoli are willing to part ways with Osimhen this summer so long as any club meets their €100 million (£85m) price tag for the Nigerian star.
At least two Premier League clubs are said to be interested in signing the 23-year-old. As per the report, United are deemed to be in ‘pole position’ to land his services in the next transfer window.
Our view:
Manchester United need to bolster different positions this summer after a frustrating league campaign. They can’t finish higher than sixth in the Premier League table this term.
Incoming boss Erik ten Hag will be backed with transfer funds, and the prime priority could lie on landing a new marksman, given the overreliance on Cristiano Ronaldo.
Osimhen appears perfectly suited for the Premier League with his aerial prowess, and has had a good season in Naples with 18 goals and six assists from 31 appearances.
His statistics could have been superior if not for a cheekbone fracture that kept him out of action for two months. Still, Man Utd need to be wary of spending big on him.
We have already seen a number of strikers coming from outside leagues that have struggled in the Premier League. Timo Werner and Romelu Lukaku are prime examples.
The latter rejoined Chelsea last summer after a 30-goal season at Inter. Despite his vast experience in English football, he has amassed just 15 goals from 43 outings this season.
Osimhen could fare better with the peak years of his career ahead of him, but may need some time to adapt, having also struggled during his debut campaign in Serie A last term.
If he manages to find his feet, he could have a similar impact to Ajax’s Sebastien Haller. The Frenchman has excelled under the tutelage of Ten Hag over the past 18 months.
Having found himself completely out of depth at West Ham, Haller has been superb for Ajax with 47 goals from 66 appearances, 11 of those coming in the Champions League.
The 27-year-old has also chipped in with 16 assists in this period. Osimhen has shown that he can likewise provide key passes and could be a quality long-term signing for Man Utd.
