Liverpool joins Arsenal in race for Osimhen as striker rejects Man Utd
Liverpool and Arsenal are reportedly keen to sign Osimhen and while the player is open to a move to the Premier League, he has ruled our Manchester United.
Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen will reject a move to Manchester United because the club's chances of qualifying for the world's biggest club football completion, UEFA Champions League is slim.
Liverpool and Arsenal are reportedly keen to sign Napoli striker Osimhen and it has emerged that the player is open to a move to the Premier League but not Manchester United.
Both clubs are expected to spend in the summer and Osimhen has announced himself as one of the best strikers in Europe after superb spells at Lille and Napoli in recent years.
And according to the Daily Mirror, the striker has garnered the attention of Jurgen Klopp and Mikel Arteta - although a deal would cost £80million to complete.
The report states that the Premier League duo are amongst the biggest names in the running to sign the Nigeria striker. The pacy hitman has 16 goals in just 28 games for Napoli this season and the club are reportedly ready to cash in on his excellent form in the summer.
Representatives of the player have been allowed to tout Osimhen to interested clubs, who have been told it will cost £80m to sign the forward. Premier League clubs have especially been sounded out due to the fees that many are willing to pay for top talents across the continent.
Osimhen is open to a move to England, although he only wishes to join a club in the Champions League with Napoli all but qualified for Europe's premier tournament. That has ruled out a move to Newcastle for now, and given Liverpool and Arsenal much more confidence of completing a move. Osimhen also has five assists this season, and his pace, strength and technique are valuable assets.
It remains to be seen if a deal can be done to bring Osimhen to the Premier League, although Arteta's men are most in need of Osimhen with Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah set to depart on free transfers. And the Spaniard has claimed that his side are expecting a "busy summer" ahead of their almost guaranteed qualification for European football next season.
“The Champions League and the Europa League both require a much larger squad because the amount of games is much bigger," Arteta said.
“If we can afford it financially and we don’t have to do the turnaround in the squad that we’ve had to, what I want is 22 outfield players and three goalkeepers.
“A lot of things have to be put in place and that takes time, so I am expecting a busy summer.”
Osimhen has already thrived in four different leagues, having played in Belgium, Wolfsburg in Germany and France with Lille before moving to Napoli in 2020. Ahead of his next move, he thinks that playing in different leagues, in particular Serie A, has set him up for success wherever he ends up.
He added: "It's really physical, just like what we've been hearing before I even became a professional footballer. "But a player [like me] never backs down no matter the circumstances, no matter the score line, no matter the team I play. I want to go so hard, I want to go so extreme to get my goals to try to help the team.
"I believe without these early setbacks, I can actually do more. And I challenge myself into doing more than I have done in the previous seasons. Of course, I did it in Belgium. I did it in Lille. Of course, I will always do it anywhere I go."
