Manchester United are in full flow under the tutelage of manager Erik ten Hag, riding a resurgent campaign thus far and still competing across every front, but the need for a world-class centre-forward remains paramount.
While imposing powerhouse Wout Weghorst was signed on loan this month to fill the hole left by Cristiano Ronaldo, who terminated his contract by mutual consent, there indeed remains a vacancy for a leading European goal-scorer to spearhead the attack of the new era of the club over the coming years, with Napoli’s Victor Osimhen among the leading candidates for transfer at Old Trafford according to reports in Italy.
It would be a costly move, however, with any deal potentially set to cost in the region of €140m (£123m).
Haaland 2.0
The Premier League giants will undoubtedly be buoyed by the swift rekindling of former fluidity, having finished in sixth place in the division last term.
But in order to maintain the continuation of changes that are finally re-asserting the Red Devils’ authority after such tumultuous fortunes since Sir Alex Ferguson left his iconic managerial position in 2013, the crafting of a refined new skeleton must not waver.
And by landing the 24-year-old “machine” – as dubbed by reporter Mina Rzouki – that is Osimhen, who has scored 13 goals and provided four assists from only 15 appearances in the Italian top-flight this term, the unabating flow of goals would fall into place at Old Trafford.
By forging a transfer, Ten Hag might actually have his answer to Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, who has become something of a problem for the Premier League since his arrival last summer.
Should Manchester United sign Osimhen?
Yes
No
According to FBref, Haaland is indeed one of the most comparable players to the Napoli hotshot, ranked third on the list of ‘similar players’.
Haaland has obliterated the standard of what was considered superlative when assessing first-rate strikers in English football, with his 31 goals from 26 appearances across all competitions an unprecedented tally of offensive precision at the Etihad Stadium.
Osimhen, who ranks among the top 3% of forwards in Europe’s top five leagues for rate of non-penalty goals and the top 8% for touches in the offensive box indeed offers an arresting similarity to his Norwegian positional peer’s own arsenal, with both players mastering the fine art of pace and deadly precision in the penalty area.
Ten Hag will be all too aware of his side’s neighbours, who indeed have made much of the noise over the past decade in the prestigious footballing city, and Haaland’s introduction to City boss Pep Guardiola’s plans is a truly concerning conundrum for United, who are seeking their own clarity over their stature as a leading force.
Journalist Oluwashina Okeleji heralded Osimhen as a “monster“, and John Murtough could swiftly eradicate every ounce of worry by successfully swooping for Napoli’s Nigerian phenomenon, who could even the playing field and bring the Theatre of Dreams that crucial step closer to the return to former glory, and the Man United board must put issues over Napoli’s pricing and make their move.