Man United negotiations for Victor Osimhen accelerate as European giant pulls out of £55m race

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Manchester United have identified Victor Osimhen as a top target but a deal for the Nigerian striker won’t be easy.

It is no secret that Manchester United will be in the market for a new centre-forward this summer. The numbers speak for themselves – Ruben Amorim’s side is struggling to score.

There has been far too much expectation on Rasmus Hojlund to lead the line for United on his own, so signing a world-class striker is a top priority.

Transfer expert Graeme Bailey exclusively told United in Focus that Victor Osimhen is United’s ‘dream’ target this summer, despite the Red Devils being linked with several other forwards.

Man United receive Victor Osimhen transfer boost

Earlier this week, Rio Ferdinand urged United to sign Osimhen and it seems Ineos and the recruitment team are in full agreement that the 26-year-old should be at the top of the summer shopping list.

United have already contacted Osimhen over a potential summer deal, but there are still a few hurdles remaining before a deal can be agreed.

The first is the asking price – Osimhen is valued at £55m which should be well within United’s budget and also makes him a cheaper option compared to the likes of Viktor Gyokeres.

United will not be the only top club in the race for Victor Osimhen’s signature this summer, so Ineos will have to convince him that moving to Old Trafford is the right step for his career. If United miss out on Champions League football that could be difficult, but it seems United’s rivals are dropping out of the race.

That is because Italian outlet TuttoMercatoWeb claim that Juventus are turning away from Osimhen and are instead looking at a deal for Ademola Lookman.

Juventus are concerned that Osimhen’s wage demands could be too expensive, and Napoli are already in negotiations with United over a potential deal.

What are Victor Osimhen’s wage demands?

United are actively trying to lower their wage bill, so negotiating Osimhen’s salary will be a hugely important task.

According to ESPN, Osimhen’s wage demands are expected to reach around €11m (£9.5m) per year, which equates to just over £180,000 per week.

Compared to United’s current player wages, that figure would rank Osimhen as the club’s eighth highest-paid player, just behind Harry Maguire.

READ MORE: Man United fans send message to Ineos after watching what Victor Osimhen did for Galatasaray

But if United want a top-class striker, they are going to have to pay top dollar and Osimhen’s goalscoring record suggests he’s worth every penny.

He has scored 28 goals and provided six assists in 32 matches for Galatasaray this season. Napoli will be keen to sell him this summer, and it seems United are now in pole position.