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Man Utd are expected to be busy when the January transfer window opens next month.
Manchester United could be offered an alternative route to sign Victor Osimhen in January with reports of a possible player-plus-cash deal being proposed.
Osimhen joined Galatasaray on a season-long loan over the summer, having failed to secure his big-money permanent move away from parent club Napoli despite widespread Premier League interest. The Nigerian striker’s reported £100million-plus release clause was a major stumbling block and with tensions growing in Naples, he decided on a move to Turkey.
Premier League interest in Osimhen remains and United are among those to have been linked with a move for the striker, who is still expected to leave Napoli permanently in the foreseeable future. And that move could come as soon as next month, with TBR Football reporting the 25-year-old has been ‘offered’ to Old Trafford recruitment chiefs.
Napoli have significantly reduced their asking price for Osimhen, with the belief a deal could be done for around £60m. That would still be too much for a United side who are having to tighten the purse-strings following a period of poor investments under Erik ten Hag - but hope is not lost.
The report adds that Napoli would be open to a deal which involved one United player going the other way, with interest in three Reds attackers. The Serie A club know Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee from their days with Atalanta and Bologna respectively, but it is links to Marcus Rashford that are most interesting.
Rashford recently admitted he was ‘ready for a new challenge’ after being left out of the squad for United’s Manchester derby win earlier this month, with the forward not in a matchday set up since, despite being fully fit. He is widely expected to move in next month and is now being tipped as a possible makeweight in a move for Osimhen.
It is unclear whether Napoli would accept a straight swap involving any of the above trio, or whether it would be a player-plus-cash offering, but someone of Rashford’s stature would certainly take a considerable amount of the cash figure. The two clubs are thought to have a good recent relationship as well, having negotiated the transfer of Scott McTominay over the summer.
Rashford exit latest
United’s academy star is looking increasingly likely to leave next month, having fallen out of favour under new manager Ruben Amorim. Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho were somewhat surprisingly absent from the Manchester derby squad but while the latter worked his way back in, the former has taken a different approach.
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Speaking to journalist Henry Winter just days after that sensational 2-1 win, Rashford said he was ‘ready for a new challenge’, suggesting he could look to leave. The 27-year-old has not been involved since, with Amorim leaving his forward out of three further squads before questioning the comments earlier this week.
"It is a hard situation," he told Sky Sports. "I understand that these players have a lot of people around them, making choices that are not the first idea from the player. I am always here to help Marcus as another player. I have to do what I have to do. They chose to do the interview as it is not just Marcus. I understand that.
"As a coach I focus on performance and the way you train. The rest, it is better for me and the club to deal with that when the time comes. At the moment I focus on improving Marcus and we need a talented guy like Marcus. I forget the interview now and see what I see on the pitch."
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