Osimhen transfer is all hot air-Napoli Director
The former Lille star has three years left in his contract at the Stadio Maradona,
Serie A giant Napoli has confirmed several clubs are interested in Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen but haven’t yet received official offers for the Nigeria international.
The former Lille star has three years left in his contract at the Stadio Maradona, but a number of European clubs have been linked with securing his services in the summer.
Manchester United, Arsenal and Bayern Munich are reportedly interested in the 23-year-old and Napoli director Cristiano Giuntoli has provided the latest updates regarding the striker.
The Partenopei don’t want to sell Osimhen but are aware of the interest from many clubs in Europe.
“Everyone knows we have great expectations and he still has three years left in his contract. We’ve received many calls, but not offers,” Giuntoli said at a press conference over the weekend.
Napoli rejected a €100m bid from Newcastle in January and the player is reportedly unwilling to sign with a club that doesn’t play Champions League football next season.
Nevertheless, an offer from one of the big sides in England could make him change his mind.
Bayern Munich are also considering the striker as a replacement for Robert Lewandowski, who wants to move to Barcelona.
Osimhen refused to commit his future to Napoli last month. “I don’t know what the future has in store for me, I know that anything can happen. Now, I want to go on holiday now and recharge and then we’ll think about the rest,” he said while on international duty with Nigeria.
Meanwhile, Manchester United have been told they would have to pay at least £80 million to sign Napoli striker Osimhen this summer, according to journalist Dean Jones.
The Red Devils could be forced into the market for a new forward over the coming weeks after Cristiano Ronaldo informed club chiefs of his desire to seek pastures new.
What is the latest news involving Osimhen?
Back in May, Italian outlet Sports Mediaset claimed United were at the front of the queue for Osimhen’s signature as they looked to replace Edinson Cavani.
However, a formal offer has never materialised, while fellow Premier League sides Arsenal and Newcastle United have also been credited with an interest in the Nigeria international.
Despite the speculation, it seemed as though signing a forward wasn’t at the top of new manager Erik ten Hag’s wish list in the opening stages of the current window.
Yet that may now have suddenly changed following Ronaldo’s apparent desire to continue chasing records in the Champions League.
And with the likes of Darwin Nunez and Erling Haaland already being snapped up by rivals Liverpool and Manchester City, respectively, there are few options left for United to choose from.
Jones admitted to GiveMeSport that there ‘really aren’t’ many strikers on the market at the moment and that Osimhen would set United back a significant sum.
He told GMS: “There really aren’t, no. And you look at people who they’ve been linked to like Osimhen in the past, Osimhen’s someone who’s going to cost you £80 million, maybe at least.
“He’s in a Napoli team that he has been happy to be a part of, that have been looking to build something. They’re even being linked with Ronaldo at the moment.”
Italian football expert Conor Clancy previously labelled Osimhen a ‘superstar’ in an interview with GMS, and it’s hard to argue against that assessment.
Throughout his senior career, the 6 foot 1 ace has registered 66 goals and 19 assists in 151 appearances for Napoli, Lille, Wolfsburg and RSC Charleroi.
And Osimhen has enjoyed one of his most productive years so far, ranking in the 96th percentile for non-penalty goals and total shots and 90th for touches in the attacking penalty area amongst his positional peers, as per FBref.
His potential arrival at Old Trafford will surely depend on Ronaldo’s future, but even his departure wouldn’t guarantee United would have the finances and pulling power to sign Osimhen.
