Man Utd target ‘better than Haaland’ – but Ten Hag given Messi warning

Robin Bairner

• 7 Apr 2023 09:30 BST
• 3 min read

Manchester United have been told that Napoli’s Victor Osimhen is the best striker in the world at present – superior even to Erling Haaland at rivals Manchester City.

Osimhen has enjoyed two stellar seasons with Napoli. He has 25 goals in 29 games this season for the runaway Serie A leaders, while last term he netted 18 times in an impressive debut campaign in Italy after moving from Lille.

MORE: Man Utd told two ‘wow’ signings put Premier League title within reach

Unsurprisingly, the 24-year-old has caught the eye of numerous major clubs around Europe thanks to his consistently prolific scoring form in recent years and he is strongly linked with a summer transfer to a leading club.

Man Utd have Osimhen among their leading targets for the No.9 role in the summer. Tottenham’s Harry Kane and Randal Kolo Muani of Eintracht Frankfurt are among the other leading contenders, while the likes of Benfica striker Goncalo Ramos and Brighton’s up-and-coming Evan Ferguson are also thought to be on their radar.

MORE: Marcus Rashford makes final decision amidst PSG links

'Osimhen the best in the world'

According to agent Andrea D’Amico, Osimhen is the best option.

“At the moment, Osimhen is the best striker in the world. Yes, even better than Haaland,” he told Radio24.

Man Utd will not have it all their own way if they want to sign Osimhen, particularly from PSG.

“Osimhen certainly won't lack of options, especially in England and Paris Saint-Germain, who could lose an important player up front. In my opinion, Messi will go to Miami. But that's just my opinion,” he said.

PSG’s grip on Messi appears to be loosening, with Barcelona seeking to put together a formula that will allow them to recapture the Argentina star, who wants to spend one more year in Europe. However, the veteran attacker has options in both the MLS and Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappe looks increasingly unsettled at PSG and there may be an outside chance of Man Utd landing the superstar attacker should the takeover of the club be completed swiftly.