Napoli director Giovanni Manna reveals the Italian clubs are hoping to finalise Victor Osimhen’s exit this summer “as quickly as possible” amid reports linking the Nigerian striker with a blockbuster move to Old Trafford.
Manchester United’s struggling strikers are the biggest concern for Ruben Amorim with Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee having combined for just five goals in the Premier League this season.
The Portuguese coach’s 3-4-2-1 set-up relies on a dynamic centre-forward to offer constant runs in behind the opposition defence to create space for the two number tens.
Similarly, the wing-backs, fundamental to the system’s effectiveness, are tasked with providing width and overlapping runs, but need a target in the box to aim for.
Zirkzee, 23, is not this type of striker, with Amorim viewing the Dutch international as more of a number ten than a number nine.
Hojlund is much closer to the profile the former Sporting CP manager prefers but the 22-year-old Dane is in dismal form with fundamental inadequacies to his all-round play.
At a minimum, he needs to play understudy to a more experienced alternative; at a maximum, he may need the chance to regain form away from the harsh lights of Old Trafford.
United will certainly target a new striker this summer with Osimhen, 26, reported to be top of the wish list.
The Nigerian international, currently on loan at Galatasaray after falling out with Napoli manager Antonio Conte last year, will return to Naples at the end of the season when a release worth in the region of £65 million kicks in.
And the Italian side’s director Manni is aiming for a swift resolution to the 26-year-old’s future come the summer.
Manna told Sky Sport Italia (as relayed by the Manchester Evening News): “Victor is always going to be a hotly-debated topic and not just on the transfer market.
“He is an appetising player for clubs, he has a clause and everyone knows this, we are working to find a solution as quickly as possible, so that we can avoid what happened last year.”
The Red Devils will be hoping the Theatre of Dreams constitutes the most ‘appetising’ choice to the Nigerian striker as United are certain to face fierce competition from Europe’s elite for the lethal marksman.
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Darragh Fox
Darragh is a writer for The Peoples Person who spent three years as a history graduate slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about.
