John Obi Mikel admits he is encouraging Victor Osimhen to snub Manchester United for Premier League rivals Chelsea with Napoli’s Serie A-winning striker expected to be a striker in demand this summer.
While you can never have enough elite-level centre-forwards, Chelsea probably need the Nigeria international more than Manchester United do these days.
OK, the Red Devils have hardly been prolific, their goal difference never too far away from negative numbers. But, still, in Rasmus Hojlund, Manchester United appear to have snapped up a centre-forward who could yet nail down the number nine spot at Old Trafford for the best part of a decade.
Chelsea, meanwhile, are crying out for a Victor Osimhen-style presence in their own misfiring frontline. And Mikel – who famously agreed to join United before defecting to Chelsea two decades ago – is now hoping that his compatriot follows in his footsteps at Stamford Bridge rather than at Old Trafford.
Manchester United still linked with Victor Osimhen
“He has many clubs interested in him, such as PSG, Manchester United,” says Mikel, speaking to Web Summit Qatar, via Calciomercato. “But I am pushing, sending him messages, trying to make sure that there is only one club in his mind.
“The Blues!”
Osimhen was heavily linked with Man United last summer. But with Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis demanding a staggering fee in the region of £150 million, that only strengthened United’s resolve to go all in on Hojlund instead.
It is believed that Osimhen now has a £113 million clause in his Napoli contract. And De Laurentiis admits that he ‘cannot stop’ the former Lille talisman from departing should that clause be triggered in the summer (The Standard).
‘Wants to come to Chelsea’
“I am convinced that Victor wants to come to Chelsea,” adds a hopeful Mikel. “Obviously, he wants to follow in my footsteps and the Nigerian players who played for Chelsea, such as Victor Moses, Celestine Babayaro!
“And there’s also London, a fantastic city. There’s no comparison with Liverpool or places like that.”
Osimhen, who fired Napoli to the Serie A title with 31 goals last season, hit a hat-trick against Sassuolo in midweek.
It is no secret that Man United would like a more experienced striker to ease the burden on Hojlund but, with so many areas in need of reinforcement and with those Financial Fair Play issues still a cause for concern, it feels unlikely in the extreme that Sir Jim Ratcliffe will devote over £100 million worth of United’s summer budget to bringing in one player.
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