MX23RW : Tuesday, March 11 03:44:27| >> :120:7396:7396:

Manchester United dealt blow in Victor Osimhen pursuit?

Man United dealt blow in Victor Osimhen pursuit?
© Reuters
Napoli striker Victor Osimhen plays down speculation linking him with a move away from the Italian club amid interest from Manchester United.

Napoli striker Victor Osimhen has played down speculation linking him with a move away from the Italian club amid interest from Manchester United.

The 23-year-old has established himself as a key player for the Serie A leaders since joining from Lille in 2020 for a club-record fee of around £70m.

Osimhen, who is under contract until June 2025, has contributed with a total of 38 goals and 12 assists in 76 appearances for Gli Azzurri across all competitions, including 10 goals and three assists in 14 matches so far this season.

The Nigerian's form in front of goal is believed to have caught the eye of Man United in recent months, with the Red Devils on the lookout to replace Cristiano Ronaldo, who had his contract mutually terminated last month.

A recent report claims that Man United are not prepared to meet Napoli's €100m (£86m) asking price for Osimhen, but they still hold an interest in the striker heading into the January transfer window.

Victor Osimhen in action for Napoli on November 1, 2022© Reuters

Nevertheless, the Red Devils have seemingly been dealt a blow in their pursuit of Osimhen, who has claimed that he is only focused on succeeding with Napoli and has rebuffed suggestions that he could soon be on the move.

"[Napoli are] one of the best clubs in Europe and I want to win here," Osimhen told Il Mattino. "The future is this moment, try to win something relevant in Italy.

"It's hard to think about something better than Napoli, one of the best clubs in Italy, right now. I am only focused on this season because we haven't done anything yet. We must win something and then we'll see what happens."

Earlier this year, Osimhen's agent Roberto Calenda also played down suggestions that his client is seeking to move away from the Naples-based outfit.

"Whoever talked about a departure (over the summer) made a mistake. It was Victor's will to stay at Napoli and play the Champions League that he won entry to last year together with his teammates," Calenda told Radio Kiss Kiss.

Victor Osimhen in action for Napoli on September 7, 2022© Reuters

"Victor wanted exactly that, to have a great year with Napoli, between the league and the Champions League.

"He has a long contract with the Azzurri. The market is dynamic, but our will is to continue at Napoli and continue to do well."

While a move for Osimhen to Man United now appears unlikely, Erik ten Hag has a number of other attacking targets on his radar including PSV Eindhoven's Cody Gakpo.

The Red Devils are said to be determined to recruit the 23-year-old in January and an offer of around £50m could be enough to persuade PSV to cash in on their star player.

The likes of Benfica's Goncalo Ramos, AC Milan's Rafael Leao and Atletico Madrid's Joao Felix have also been linked with a possible move to Old Trafford.

ID:502449:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect6025:
Written by
Oliver Thomas

Victor Osimhen future - Click here for more stories

Click here for more stories about Victor Osimhen

Click here for more stories about Manchester United

Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Cody Gakpo celebrates scoring for Netherlands against Qatar at the World Cup on November 29, 2022.
Read Next:
Man United 'determined to sign Gakpo in January'
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free daily transfer newsletter! Sent twice a day during the transfer window.
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool29217169274270
2Arsenal281510352242855
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest28156745331251
4Chelsea28147753361749
5Manchester CityMan City28145953381547
6Newcastle UnitedNewcastle2814594738947
7Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton28121064640646
8Aston Villa2912984145-445
9Bournemouth28128847341344
10Fulham2811984138342
11Crystal Palace2810993633339
12Brentford28115124844438
13Tottenham HotspurSpurs281041455411434
14Manchester UnitedMan Utd2897123440-634
15Everton2871293135-433
16West Ham UnitedWest Ham2896133248-1633
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves2865173857-1923
18Ipswich TownIpswich2838172658-3217
19Leicester CityLeicester2845192562-3717
20Southampton2823232068-489


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!