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If there is one area that Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is desperate to strengthen in the summer transfer window, it is the addition of an elite goalscorer.
For a long while it seemed like the race was mainly between two protagonists — Tottenham Hotspur record scorer Harry Kane and Serie A champion Victor Osimhen of Napoli.
But United’s plans have gone awry since. While Spurs have refused to sell the England skipper for any price, The Peoples Person recently reported that the Nigerian had agreed a two-year contract extension with the Naples outfit.
Osimhen future far from secure
But now Gazzetta dello Sport have revealed that the striker could still be sold but only for a record fee with many clubs waiting for the right moment to strike.
“The Neapolitan fans are interested in knowing if Victor will stay with the Italian champions and at the moment it is an answer that not even the person concerned knows.
“Several big names are interested – from PSG to Bayern Munich, from Manchester United to Chelsea – but De Laurentiis’ request for 150 million at the moment means that potential buyers are waiting for the right moment for an offer.”
The report mentions the primary difficulty the Serie A champions will face when it comes to holding on to the former Lille man — their wage structure.
“The footballer wants to earn more than the current 4.5 million – given the interest on the market – figures which however are out of line with the sustainability rules set by Napoli.”
Napoli eyeing replacements
For Premier League clubs, going well beyond Napoli’s wages would not pose an issue and that could lead to the player demanding for a move, something Osimhen has not done so far.
Napoli are aware of the interest surrounding the 24-year-old and they are keeping a list of options ready should the transfer market swing into action.
Interestingly, two names suggested by the Italian outlet are also United targets — Jonathan David of Lille, who finished as the third highest goalscorer in Ligue 1, and Atalanta prodigy Rasmus Hojlund.
The Osimhen saga has a long way to run and it will be interesting to see where he lands up at the end of the day. One thing is for certain, United should definitely keep tracking him considering their Kane pursuit ended in failure.
