Ratcliffe rampage: Man Utd can ruin Chelsea's Osimhen transfer

Tom Weber

• Updated: 14 Feb 2024 21:40 GMT
• 3 min read

Manchester United are not yet out of the race to sign Victor Osimhen.

The Red Devils will be aflush with cash in the summer transfer window, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe on the verge of officially acquiring a 25 per cent minority stake in Man Utd. On Tuesday, the Premier League gave the green light for the transaction to go through and everything is expected to be under wraps by next week at the latest.

Ratcliffe's INEOS money will alleviate Man Utd's Financial Fair Play concerns for the summer window, allowing Erik ten Hag to reinforce his side in a major way. Ratcliffe has already approved the Red Devils' pursuit of Michael Olise, whose release clause is believed to be in the region of €70 million.

Ten Hag also wants to add a new centre-back and an experienced striker to take the pressure off Rasmus Hojlund, despite the youngster recently becoming quite prolific. If the stars align, the striker in question could be none other than Victor Osimhen.

Man Utd in for Osimhen?

At least that's according to 90min, which reports that Man Utd cannot yet be counted out of the race to sign the Nigerian sharpshooter. The report acknowledges that Ratcliffe's funds alone likely won't be enough for Man Utd to have a chance at securing the Napoli man and the rest of Ten Hag's targets, but Champions League qualification could dramatically alter the situation.

The Red Devils recently took a large step towards still potentially making it back into Europe's premier competition by beating nearest rivals Aston Villa, climbing to within five points of Unai Emery's surprise packages and six of Tottenham in fourth. Should they get in, they could be tempted to give signing Osimhen a go, it is asserted.

The striker is expected to leave Napoli in the summer, recently penning a one-year extension with a new release clause believed to be way in excess of €100m, with some reporting that it is as high as €130m. Chelsea have long been considered the favourites - at least in terms of English clubs - to land him, but Man Utd would become a more attractive destination if they were to be playing at the highest level of European football next term.