Nigerian striker, Victor Osimhen, has been included on Manchester United’s four-man striker shortlist for the summer transfer window as the Premier League giants look to bolster their attacking options.
The Red Devils are expected to delve into the transfer market to bolster their forward options after seeing Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund struggle to find their best form this season.
Zirkzee has netted just six goals in 44 competitive appearances since arriving from Bologna last summer, while Hojlund has mustered eight strikes in 39 matches in all competitions.
The pair’s struggles have contributed to Man United’s overall difficulty in the final third, having registered just 37 goals in 29 Premier League matches this season, meaning that they have been outscored by 13 teams in the top flight.
According to journalist Florian Plettenburg, Osimhen is among four strikers that are on Man United’s radar ahead of the summer transfer window.
Osimhen is currently on loan at Turkish giants Galatasaray, where he has racked up 26 goals in 30 appearances, including 20 strikes in 22 league games, making him the current top scorer in the Super Lig.
The Nigeria international is set to return to Napoli in the summer, but he is likely to depart on a permanent basis ahead of the 2025/26 season.
A recent report claimed that Osimhen is keen to move to Old Trafford despite being linked with other potential suitors, including French champions Paris Saint-Germain.
In addition to Osimhen, Sporting Lisbon forward Viktor Gyokeres is said to be high on Man United’s transfer wishlist. Man United head coach Ruben Amorim has seen Gyokeres’ goalscoring prowess first-hand after he spent just over a season with him at Sporting.
The Red Devils are also keeping tabs on two forwards plying their trade in the Bundesliga, RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko and Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike.
Sesko, who has been linked with Arsenal and Liverpool, has scored 17 goals and provided six assists in 36 matches for Leipzig this season. Meanwhile, Ekitike has netted 19 goals and contributed eight assists in 38 games, including 13 strikes in 25 Bundesliga outings.
Meanwhile, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Napoli are reportedly considering Hojlund as a potential replacement for Osimhen.
Osimhen is currently on international duty with the Super Eagles as they prepare for must-win World Cup qualifier games against Rwanda and Zimbabwe.
“It’s a dream of every footballer to play at the World Cup and with our situation in the group I am desperate, like other players, to make it to the 2026 tournament,” Osimhen said.
“We suffered a big disappointment in 2022 and we simply can’t let it happen again to us, the country and our generation.” – Agency report.
