Ruben Amorim has a lot of problems to fix at Manchester United. A cursory glance at the Premier League table is evidence enough of that.
There are concerning issues in every department of the squad the Portuguese tactician inherited from Erik ten Hag.
A chronically error-prone goalkeeper. An injury-ravaged backline. Few natural wing-back options for his preferred system. A dearth of creativity in midfield and attack.
Chief among the issues plaguing United is the lack of a reliable goal threat. As they plot to mete out a reportedly meagre transfer budget this coming summer, a significant chunk of their PSR-restricted resources will have to be allocated to the acquisition of a striker.
It will be the third summer in a row in which they have sought to find a long-term solution up top, with more than £100m splashed in the previous two off-seasons on Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee.
But the young duo – aged 22 and 23 respectively – have thus far proven to be a long way from performing as proven number nine at Premier League level. With United battling to kickstart the Amorim era, they need more.
For that, they should turn to another former Serie A standout – albeit one with a much longer and more impressive track record of scoring in Italy’s top flight.
After several years of rumours, the time is right for United to finally land Victor Osimhen.
In previous years when the Old Trafford club have been connected with a move for the Napoli striker – who is currently on loan at Galatasaray – the likely cost was astronomical, with a reported release clause in the Nigerian’s contract of €130m.
Since then, however, Napoli’s bargaining power has weakened.
The Italian side signed Osimhen from Lille back in 2020 for €70m. And he repaid that outlay with goals by the bucketload. He netted 76 times over 133 all-competitions appearances for the Partenopei, and in 2023 he was the star player in a first Scudetto since the days of Diego Maradona.
Relations soured between player and club last summer, though. When a money-spinning move to Chelsea or the Saudi Pro League failed to materialise late in the transfer window, he was instead shipped for Turkey for a temporary stay.
It was a bizarre move but one that has worked out for the player. Perhaps unsurprisingly for a player of his ability, Osimhen has proven just as prolific in the Super Lig as he was in Serie A or Ligue 1 before that, averaging better than a goal involvement per game.
Despite the nature of his arrival, and inevitability of his summer departure, he has proven to be a cohesive teammate, too.
“He has been smart, humble, coming to our club,” Galatasaray’s assistant manager, Ismael Garcia Gomez, told BBC Sport in November. “The main part of squad has been together for two years, winning back-to-back championships.
“But he came in a smart way, trying to be a part of it, not as a typical star. He was not expecting the club will adapt to him, but he has been very humble and hard working.”
Deal to be done?
Multiple reports now claim Osimhen’s Napoli deal contains a reduced release clause of €75m that can be triggered this coming summer.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Football Insider and the Manchester Evening News, even at that reduced price point United would struggle find the funds without some major sales first.
But it stands in United’s favour that Napoli have recently shown interest in a couple of their players.
Antonio Conte’s side pushed hard to sign Alejandro Garnacho in January but were ultimately unwilling to meet United’s valuation of the Argentinian winger.
Losing a fan favourite academy graduate – even one who has struggled for regular starts of late and is without a goal in his last 21 appearances – would be a difficult pill to swallow for an already beleaguered fan base.
Napoli have also been linked with Hojlund, though. One of a number of Italian clubs reportedly keen to take the Dane back to Serie A – where he previously stood out for Atalanta – United could leverage Napoli’s admiration of the young striker to sweeten the pot in an Osimhen deal.
Hojlund has endured a difficult second season at Old Trafford after a £73m move in 2023, scoring just twice in 22 league games.
The Copenhagen-born youngster has evident talent, but he remains a long way short of the kind of striker United need at present and appears bereft of confidence.
A return to favourable terrain in Italy could suit all parties, whether it be on loan or in a permanent switch that includes either a healthy sell-on clause or a buy-back option for United.
Osimhen is not the only striker with whom United have been linked recently. Ipswich’s Liam Delap – who has impressed within a struggling team in his first full Premier League season – is another; likewise Viktor Gyokeres, with whom Amorim worked previously at Sporting.
Delap might be a cheaper option, but he is no more of a proven commodity than Hojlund or Zirkzee were upon signing for the 20-time champions.
And Gyokeres, although familiar with Amorim’s demands, would likely cost more than Osimhen, plus he is six months older than the 26-year-old Nigerian and can’t match his history of goals in a major European league.
If United are going to bet big on one signing to fix their biggest issue this summer, Osimhen should be their man.
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