How Man Utd could line up with Victor Osimhen

Stuart Telford

• 10 Nov 2022 09:31 GMT
• 3 min read

Manchester United hope to sign Victor Osimhen from Napoli next summer. How would the Red Devils line up with the Nigeria striker among their number?

United are in the market for a No.9. Cristiano Ronaldo's days at the club are numbered, and while Marcus Rashford has done an admirable job up front - scoring seven and assisting three in all competitions under Erik ten Hag - he would rather cut inside from the left flank.

Osimhen has scored nine goals this season, helping fire Napoli to the top of Serie A and their Champions League group ahead of Liverpool, and the Italian side are reportedly unwilling to settle for anything less than €100 million for a player who's contract still has three years to run.

READ: Man Utd and Arsenal discover how much Napoli want for Osimhen

Man Utd are one of the few clubs in world football who can afford that kind of money - they spent the same on Antony this summer - so how would they line up with Osimhen?

There is no question that Osimhen would lead the line in Ten Hag's preferred 4-2-3-1 system, and his arrival would plug two gaps, with Rashford, as mentioned, allowed to play in his preferred position with the Nigerian installed.

Osimhen is a physically imposing striker whose ability to lead the line would free up space for Rashford, Bruno Fernandes and Antony behind him, as it does for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Co. today.

READ: Man Utd join Liverpool in being put up for sale

Further back, Ten Hag appears to have settled on his first-choice midfield, with Eriksen repurposed as a deep-lying playmaker to accommodate playing Fernandes in his preferred No.10 role. The Portuguese would likely lead this team out with Harry Maguire benched.

How will Man Utd line up with Osimhen?

Beside him, Casemiro has pulled ahead of Scott McTominay following his €80m arrival from Real Madrid. Should United finally sign Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona, who would be competing with Eriksen and Casemiro for a place, and could play beside either depending on the opposition.

Maguire's time left at United could be almost as short as Ronaldo's, the defender unceremoniously dumped by Ten Hag as United have climbed up the Premier League standings.

Lisandro Martinez and a fit Raphael Varane would be first-choice in central defence. Whether they have Diogo Dalot, who is out of contract at the end of the season and attracting interest from Barcelona, to the right of them remains to be seen.