Victor Osimhen celebrates after scoring for Galatasaray this season.
Victor Osimhen could be a realistic target for Manchester United this summer.
One of the biggest positives of Ineos' first year at Manchester United has been how the club's transfer policy has evolved for the better.
After years of reckless spending and paying over the odds for countless players, United's direction of travel in the market has changed considerably since the start of last summer's transfer window.
Instead of chasing the signatures of established names who have already earned their stripes, United have targeted younger players who have high ceilings and potential re-sale value, with the additions of Ayden Heaven, Leny Yoro, Patrick Dorgu and Chido Obi prime examples.
United are expected to follow that blueprint once again this summer. Head coach Ruben Amorim needs recruitment to be specific and he has already warned how United can ill-afford to repeat recruitment errors of yesteryear.
However, the biggest priority facing United ahead of this summer's transfer window is the addition of a striker. After spending an initial fee of £64million on Rasmus Hojlund in August 2023 and then signing Joshua Zirkzee who has turned out not to be a striker just under a year later, United can't afford to sign another unproven goal-getter this time around.
Hojlund was signed at the age of just 20 and Zirkzee slightly older at 23. With respect, neither of them had done anything to suggest they had the credentials to become a starting striker at Old Trafford.
It is why United are going to have to break their own transfer policy this summer and sign a ready-made striker to pick up the baton from Hojlund and become the club's starting No.9. They need someone who can come in with a proven goalscoring record and hit the ground running.
Of course, a plethora of strikers have been linked with United in recent months, including Sporting Lisbon's Viktor Gyokeres, Jonathan David of Lille and even Ipswich Town's Liam Delap. Despite scoring ten goals in an Ipswich side destined for relegation this season, Delap is still fairly raw and inexperienced.
With Gyokeres set to cost an arm and a leg and David being targeted by clubs currently in much better positions than United, plus the fact they are both increasingly likely to demand Champions League football, United's fallback option could be Victor Osimhen.
Victor Osimhen has enjoyed another brilliant season in front of goal. (Image: Ahmad Mora/Getty Images.)
Linked with United countless times in the past, the Nigerian has enjoyed another prolific season in front of goal, scoring 26 times in 31 games on loan at Galatasaray this term. He joined the Turkish club on loan for the duration of the season back in September after falling out with Napoli boss Antonio Conte.
He has been excellent for the Turkish outfit, claiming five assists on top of his 26 goals, helping Galatasaray position themselves at the top of the Süper Lig table.
His record in front of goal means he is going to be an attractive target for a lot of clubs this summer, and the expectation is he will leave Napoli on a permanent basis. He will have two years remaining on his deal come the summer and Napoli director Giovanni Manna has already admitted they are hoping to sort his future out quickly.
"Victor is always going to be a hotly-debated topic and not just on the transfer market," said Manna, speaking last month.
"He is an appetising player for clubs, he has a clause and everyone knows this, we are working to find a solution as quickly as possible, so that we can avoid what happened last year."
Osimhen has been one of Europe's most consistent strikers over the last five seasons, scoring 102 goals since the beginning of the 2020/21 campaign. His best season in front of goal during that period saw him net 31 goals to fire Napoli to a first Serie A title since 1990 in 2022/23.
Victor Osimhen was outstanding for Napoli in 2022/23. (Image: Cesare Purini/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images.)
With blistering pace and an eye for goal, the 26-year-old has all of the necessary qualities any big-name club will be looking for in a striker this summer. Of course, his price tag is not going to be what you would describe as cheap, but his record suggests he will offer the guarantee of goals.
Napoli have already made it clear they want his situation sorted out quickly, meaning he is unlikely to have any sort of future in Naples once his loan spell at Galatasaray reaches its conclusion.
United need a striker this summer and Osimhen ticks a lot of boxes, even if it means they may have to bend their own transfer rule to get him. They can't take another major risk at the top end of the pitch.