Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen has reportedly emerged as a target for Manchester United as the club considers “possible reinforcements in attack” to buttress their misfiring forward line.
The Red Devils have produced a paltry 13 goals in 12 Premier League games this season with only three sides have scoring fewer in the division, including newly promoted Leicester City and Southampton.
This frugality in front of goal ultimately cost Erik ten Hag his job at the end of October, but new head coach Ruben Amorim will have been sharing many of the Dutchman’s frustrations as he watched United labour to a lucky 1-1 draw against Ipswich Town on the weekend.
However, from a defensive perspective, it is the polar opposite. Just two teams – Arsenal and Liverpool – have conceded fewer goals than United in the league, with Andre Onana leading the pack for the Golden Glove award.
Evidently, United’s major struggles this season are concentrated in the opposition box, rather than their own. And it appears the club are actively considering options to improve this with a “four-man striker transfer shortlist” drawn up.
Florian Plettenberg and Luca Sixtus (Sky Sports Germany) reveal Osimhen, currently on loan at Galatasaray from Napoli, is “on the list” for the Red Devils, alongside Randal Kolo Muani, Omar Marmoush and Victor Boniface.
The Nigerian international joined Galatasaray at the end of the summer transfer window after a big-money move to Chelsea failed to materialise.
He had been frozen out of the Napoli squad by new manager Antonio Conte, who instructed the Italian club to bring in Romelu Lukaku instead.
Osimhen has produced eight goals and three assists in just 10 games for his newly adopted Turkish side, demonstrating his ability to be decisive in the opposition box.
His direct and physical style also lends itself to Amorim’s system, with some parallels between the Nigerian and Swedish striker Viktor Gyokeres, who has lit up Europe at Sporting Lisbon under the 39-year-old coach.
The Sky Sports DE report indicates Osimhen has a €75 million release clause which takes effect in January 2025, meaning a negotiation to sign the 25-year-old next would be simple, but expensive.
But in a team struggling in the exact area where Osimhen thrives – which is the most important job in football – money should not present an object, especially at a club the size of Manchester United.
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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.
