Manchester United
are ready to trigger Victor Osimhen’s €75m (£64m/$86m) release clause after reportedly reaching an agreement in principle with the Nigerian striker over a potential summer transfer.
Tuttosport reports that the Red Devils have already reached an agreement on base salary conditions with Osimhen’s representatives and are ready to trigger the release clause in his Naples deal, as manager Ruben Amorim seeks to bolster his forward lineup.
The 26-year-old Nigerian player has been performing exceptionally well during his temporary stint with Galatasaray, one of Turkey’s premier clubs, tallying an impressive 30 goals along with seven assists in only 35 matches throughout various tournaments this season.
Last summer, Osimhen was strongly connected to a transfer to the Premier League, with clubs like Manchester United and Chelsea showing interest. However, following his strained ties with Napoli, he ended up joining Galatasaray on a year-long loan deal when no team agreed to meet Napoli’s demanded fee.
Despite Galatasaray’s desire to sign him permanently following his impressive performances, United appear to have stolen a march on their rivals in the race for the prolific striker’s signature.
Manchester United are having a challenging season with Amorim at the helm, presently occupying the 14th spot in the Premier League standings before their upcoming game against Bournemouth. They see signing Osimhen as an essential move to bolster their performance for the following season.
In recent years, Osimhen has emerged as one of Europe’s top strikers, notching up 76 goals and contributing 17 assists across 133 matches for Napoli prior to his loan transfer to Turkey. Additionally, he has made a significant impact internationally with Nigeria, scoring 26 goals and adding 11 assists in 41 caps for the Super Eagles.
The Nigeria international scored his 170th goal in the 5-1 win over Konyaspor in the Turkish Cup on Tuesday.
The potential deal for Osimhen could be facilitated by the departure of several United attackers, with reports suggesting that Rasmus Hojlund could be offered to Napoli as part of the transfer. The Danish striker has struggled at Old Trafford, scoring just eight goals in 45 matches this term.
It’s rumored that Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, and Antony may also be part of Manchester United’s potential transfer list as they aim to finance their upcoming rebuilding efforts during the summer. The uncertainty surrounding Alejandro Garnacho’s future with the club persists as well.
Manchester United might have an increased chance of signing Osimhen if they qualify for the Champions League next season. The most plausible path to securing this seems to be through the Europa League, as they are up against Athletic Bilbao in the semi-final stage, with the initial match set for the following week.
Provided by Syndigate Media Inc. (
Syndigate.info
).