Man Utd transfer ’95 per cent completed’ for £62m striker as Hojlund, Garnacho swaps ruled out
Man Utd are ready to pay Victor Osimhen’s release clause to bring the Napoli striker to the Premier League in the summer, according to reports.
The Red Devils are having a nightmare season in the Premier League with Ruben Amorim’s side currently 15th in the Premier League after their 2-2 draw against Everton on Saturday.
Results and performances have been worse than under Amorim’s predecessor Erik ten Hag and there are already question marks over whether the Portuguese head coach has what it takes to lead Man Utd forward.
Amorim was afforded one transfer in the January window with Patrick Dorgu arriving from Lecce to help the new Man Utd boss make the most of his 3-4-3 formation.
Man Utd also scoured the market for a potential bargain striker but they had no luck and Amorim now has to work with what he’s got until the summer.
Only four Premier League clubs have scored fewer goals than Man Utd this season with Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee getting a fair amount of criticism.
Hojlund and Zirkzee have only scored five goals between them in the Premier League this season and Amorim is reportedly looking to bring in a proven goalscorer in the summer.
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And that now seems to be Osimhen with Nigerian outlet Business Day claiming that a deal for the Napoli striker is ‘95% completed’ and that Man Utd are ‘willing to pay’ his €75m (£62m) release clause.
Man Utd ‘are leading the race to sign Osimhen as they seek a proven goal scorer to bolster their attack’ with the Galatasaray loanee ‘set to return to Napoli at the end of the 2024/25 season before securing a permanent transfer’.
Osimhen has scored 20 goals and provided five assists in 25 matches on loan at Galatasaray this term with Amorim making the Nigeria international ‘his top target’.
The report adds:
‘While speculation suggested Hojlund or Alejandro Garnacho could be included in a swap deal, fresh reports indicate United are prepared to trigger Osimhen’s €75 million release clause outright.
‘Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) are expected to rival United for Osimhen, while Saudi Arabian clubs could reignite their interest after failing to sign him in 2024.
Chelsea, once strong contenders, are now reportedly focusing on Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap but could re-enter the race before the 2025 summer transfer window closes.’
Man Utd have been linked with other strikers like Victor Gyokeres and Harry Kane – but former Red Devils striker Louis Saha reckons Amorim and INEOS should target Osimhen.
Saha told Best Betting Sites last week: “Gyokeres, Kane and Osimhen have similar profile’s; these are the types of names that I want to see Manchester United linked with. Strikers like them bring confidence and numbers.
“Those guys really believe in themselves, and they know the game and they have the body of work to prove that they are at the very top when it comes to scoring goals. Nobody has ever found a way to stop them from scoring goals.
“So, when you have that, it brings a lot of confidence for the manager, and they are players that you can completely rely on to make the difference. Gyokeres is playing in the Portuguese league, but he has not played in the Premier League yet.
“He did brilliantly when he was playing in the Championship for Coventry, but he’s not proven in England’s top division. I still think that Osimhen for me has this kind of je ne sais quoi, as we say. He’s a very confident lad, he’s this old school No. 9, and most of the time he’s very, very cold and deadly front of goal. So, I like his style and I think he will suit Man Utd.”
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