Aheed Abrar
Napoli chief confident Manchester United target Victor Osimhen will stay this summer
Aurelio De Laurentiis, the president of Napoli, is adamant about keeping a hold of Manchester United target Victor Osimhen ahead of the upcoming campaign.
The Nigeria international is attracting interest from a number of teams this summer after an outstanding 2022/23 season. To that end, the Red Devils had the striker on their radar. However, the 24-year-old’s £100 million-plus price tag has seen the Old Trafford side move on to other targets.
Speaking to Sky Italy (h/t Manchester Evening News), De Laurentiis expressed confidence in Osimhen featuring for the Partenopei for another year.
“We will see Victor Osimhen wearing our shirt next season, that’s for sure. Then if a more than indecent proposal arrives, we will move on and find another top talent as we did with [Kvicha] Kvaratskhelia and Osimhen.”
Napoli signed the Nigerian in the summer of 2020 from LOSC Lille. Over the years, the forward has developed into a quality number nine, with the striker coming into his own in the previous campaign.
The Serie A giants got their hands on the Scudetto after over three decades. In their run to being Italian champions, the 24-year-old was pivotal for Luciano Spalletti’s team.
Osimhen showcased his prolificity last season. The Nigerian found the back of the net 31 times and provided five assists in 39 appearances in all competitions for the Partenopei. With the 24-year-old’s current contract running until 2025, it is understandable that the Naples-based club are playing hardball.
At United, Erik ten Hag’s attacking options are not encouraging. Anthony Martial is the only natural striker in our ranks as things stand. In the previous campaign, the French national was on the sidelines a lot due to injuries.
As a result, we signed Wout Weghorst on loan in January to add cover up front. The Holland international was relied upon heavily by the gaffer. Unfortunately, the Burnley loanee failed to make much of an impact.
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Therefore, Osimhen will arguably be an upgrade over our current options and has the quality to get starting into the starting lineup. However, it remains to be seen whether the Red Devils will be able to convince Napoli to part ways with the Nigerian anytime soon.
