Victor Osimhen has long since been linked with Premier League giants Manchester United and the Napoli striker has revealed he already has a Red Devils shirt in his possession.
According to reports, Manchester United had little interest in wasting much of the summer in a frantic to-and-fro with Daniel Levy, almost immediately accepting defeat in pursuit of former Tottenham Hotspur talisman Harry Kane before turning their attention to Rasmus Hojlund instead (The Times).
And, once Napoli’s own head honcho publicly slapped a ‘200 million euro’ price-tag on Victor Osimhen’s head, United walked away from another of Europe’s hottest hitmen. Even when freed from the clutches of Glazer ownership – Sir Jim Ratcliffe expected to invest heavily once he completes his initial 25 per cent takeover – Osimhen would likely remain out of reach as long as Aurelio de Laurentiis is demanding a staggering £155 million.
Manchester United looked at Victor Osimhen
Osimhen, at least, will always have the option of pulling on that iconic red shirt, albeit only from the comfort of his own Neopolitan home.
“I don’t have a favourite Premier League club, but I have two shirts. Chelsea and Manchester United,” Osimhen tells John Obi Mikel’s Obi One podcast.
“Many of my friends are Chelsea fans, a few (support) Man United. The Premier League is the most popular league for any African player. It’s a great league.”
According to the Daily Mail, Manchester United scouted Osimhen last season, and saw a player labelled ‘incredible’ by Old Trafford hero Edinson Cavani, firing Napoli to their first Scudetto since Diego Maradona’s heyday with 31 goals in all competitions.
Despite links with United, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Arsenal, Bayern Munich and more, however, the club who came closest to meeting Osimhen’s staggering price tag actually resides outside of Europe’s big leagues.
United signed Rasmus Hojlund instead
“Napoli wanted to keep me. But when the offer came from Saudi Arabia, a huge offer, it was hard to refuse,” Osimhen adds, Al-Hilal chucking a bucketload of cash in his direction.
“I spoke to Napoli and decided to stay. It was crazy. The more I said no, the more (Al-Hilal) increased the financial offer. It would have changed my life. They never gave up. But I said; ‘No guys, I’m staying’.”
With six goals in 10 games this term, both Osimhen and Napoli are struggling to recapture the brilliance of 2022/23, with head coach Rudi Garcia expected to pay with his job.
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