Arsenal and Chelsea stunned as Man Utd emerge as Osimhen favourites

Tom Weber

Updated: 6 Mar 2024 15:26 GMT
4 min read

Victor Osimhen, Todd Boehly, Sir Jim Ratcliffe — © IMAGO

Manchester United have emerged as shock favourites to sign Victor Osimhen, according to a report.

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The Napoli sharpshooter is widely expected to depart the reigning Italian champions in the summer after a very disappointing season. Thanks to a release clause rumoured to be in the region of €130 million, Osimhen can be picked up without any interested parties having to first negotiate with his club.

Chelsea, Arsenal and PSG have all at various times been heavily linked with the Nigerian striker. The latter see Osimhen as the ideal successor to Real Madrid-bound Kylian Mbappe, while the Blues and the Gunners are looking to bolster their frontlines with an elite number nine.

Prior to PSG entering the fray, Chelsea were long considered the favourites to land Osimhen, who reportedly wants to emulate Blues legend Didier Drogba at Stamford Bridge. However, after the news that Chelsea could be snubbed by Napoli teammate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, they could also miss out on Osimhen now.

Man Utd favourites

According to The Independent, it is actually Man Utd and PSG who are 'emerging as two of the main contenders to land the signature' of Osimhen. The Red Devils, backed by the funds of Sir Jim Ratcliffe, will seemingly look to make a splash in the transfer market despite recent assertions to the contrary by INEOS bigwig Jean-Claude Blanc.

Head coach Erik ten Hag already wanted to sign a striker in January and it seems Man Utd will look to go for Osimhen if the opportunity presents itself, even though the Dutch manager already be sacked by that point.

In recent weeks, it had already been rumoured that Ratcliffe could target Osimhen as a statement signing, though back then that pursuit still hinged on Champions League qualification, which is looking increasingly unlikely after back-to-back losses.

The latest report, however, makes no mention of this being a requirement. The claim that the Red Devils are one of the favourites to land Osimhen is quite surprising, especially since Man Utd will also pursue Michael Olise, who won't come cheap either. These two alone would require a transfer outlay of some €200m.