Erik ten Hag wants to sign a striker this summer as Manchester United are short on options in attack. Cristiano Ronaldo had his contract mutually terminated in November and Anthony Martial has been sidelined with injury since mid-January, so the Red Devils manager only has Wout Weghorst at his disposal.
United have been linked with Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane, Fulham’s Aleksandar Mitrovic, and Brighton & Hove Albion’s Evan Ferguson among others, but Anil Kandola of talkSPORT says the Mancunians are the ‘most likely destination’ for Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, along with Paris Saint-Germain. The 24-year-old has scored 25 goals with five assists from 29 games this season.
Osimhen joined Napoli from LOSC Lille in 2020 and has gone on to make 91 appearances in all competitions, scoring 53 goals with 14 assists. The Nigerian international is staking a claim as one of the best strikers in Europe, firing Napoli to the top of Serie A with 11 games to go – Gli Azzurri are 19 points clear.
It begs belief why the pacey 24-year-old would want to leave Napoli if he could win a league title and be in the Champions League again next season, but Man United could put up a lot of money to sign him. Napoli are believed to have requested around £150m for the centre-forward, so they’ll make back more than double what they spent three years ago.
Ten Hag’s men are having a great season, sitting third in the league, winning the EFL Cup, reaching the semi-finals of the FA Cup and making the quarter-finals of the Europa League, but they have consistently struggled for goals. Six top-flight sides have scored more, so a prolific striker is a must.
Whether United are willing to pay up to £150m for Osimhen remains to be seen, however, as Kane might be available for £80m. He’s five years Osimhen’s senior but would arguably be a safer bet as he boasts years of Premier League experience. He pushed for a move away from Tottenham in 2021 too, so Man United might be able to tempt him with the lure of trophies and top-level European football.
Chelsea spent £540m on new players this season, so they might blow United out of the water financially in the Osimhen race. PSG spent £130m on new players and might have to replace Lionel Messi, so Osimhen may be considered a priority. Time will tell how this pans out.
