Manchester United will reportedly not pay €100 million to sign Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen from Serie A giants Napoli.
Victor Osimhen has been highly impressive for Napoli. And Florian Plettenberg claims that Manchester United could look to make a move for the 23-year-old Nigerian international during the January transfer window.
However, the German journalist has added that the Serie A giants are not interested in selling their key attacker midway through the season. And the Red Devils are willing to pay the reported €100 million asking price either.
Osimhen has scored ten goals across all competitions for Napoli this season, and he could prove to be a quality acquisition for Manchester United. The Red Devils need to replace Cristiano Ronaldo after terminating the Portuguese international’s contract. And Osimhen could prove to be a quality long-term acquisition.
It remains to be seen whether they come forward with a move for the 23-year-old in the upcoming weeks. But with Manchester United unwilling to pay €100 million, a summer move seems likelier.
X News #Osimhen: The 23 y/o striker is one of the top candidates to replace Ronaldo. Bosses convinced that he could improve #MUFC! Problem: Neapel doesn’t want to let him go in winter. Regardless of the 💶. United doesn‘t want to pay €100m! No negotiations yet. @SkySportDE 🇳🇬 pic.twitter.com/ckxOQuEFTB
— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) November 25, 2022
Napoli are having an excellent season so far, and they are currently at the top of the Serie A table. Losing a key player like Osimhen could derail their title challenge. So the Partenopei are not keen on selling the player regardless of the transfer fee offered.
It seems that Manchester United will have to wait until the summer transfer window to sign the Nigerian international. It will be interesting to see if the Red Devils can negotiate a more reasonable fee for Osimhen in the coming months.
The Napoli striker is yet to reach his peak, and he is likely to improve further with experience and game time. A move to Manchester United would allow him to play at a higher level and that can only help him grow as a footballer.
Erik ten Hag did well to nurture the young players at Ajax, and he could have a similar influence on Osimhen’s development. The Dutch manager could help the 23-year-old fulfil his potential at Manchester United. So the interest in Osimhen makes sense.
But the Nigerian striker is not the only attacker linked with Manchester United in recent weeks. And the Red Devils are thought to be keeping tabs on Jonathan David from Lille as well. It will be interesting to see who they sign to replace Ronaldo next year.
