Man Utd BOMBSHELL: Victor Osimhen swap deal 'CAN'T be ruled out'

Tom Weber

Updated: 22 Mar 2025 18:08 GMT
4 min read

Manchester United could genuinely seek to pursue a swap deal with Napoli for Victor Osimhen, according to club insider Laurie Whitwell of The Athletic.

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The Red Devils are in dire need of offensive reinforcements. Rasmus Hojlund is slowly but surely overcoming his form slump, but he is still nowhere near the level of player Man Utd fans thought they were getting when their club splashed €74 million on him in 2023.

Compared

Rasmus Winther Højlund

F (C)

Man Utd

Rasmus Winther Højlund

F (C)

Man Utd

VS

Joshua Zirkzee

F (C)

Man Utd

Joshua Zirkzee

F (C)

Man Utd

2024/2025

Season Statistics

2024/2025

39	Appearances	43
2	Assists	2
8	Goals	6

Summer signing Joshua Zirkzee has also failed to impress, although it was quite clear from the start that he would not be Man Utd's No.9 solution because he simply is not a traditional centre-forward.

Man Utd are scouring the market for potential upgrades, but most elite options will cost a pretty penny. As things stand, the Old Trafford side won't be able to splash the cash this summer due to well-documented financial problems.

READ MORE: Man Utd top scorers 2024/25

Man Utd to offer Osimhen swap deal

Man Utd could be forced to get creative and in recent weeks, there has been constant talk of a potential swap deal with Napoli for Victor Osimhen. The Nigerian has been prolific on loan at Galatasaray this season, but he will return to Italy in the summer.

The 26-year-old has a €75 million release clause, so it has been suggested that Man Utd could look to offer up a lower fee and a player to sweeten the deal for Napoli.

There has been a lot of talk that Rasmus Hojlund could be sacrificed. Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that he could leave Man Utd this summer, but there is also the option of Alejandro Garnacho.

Napoli wanted the Argentine in January but were put off by Man Utd's €70m price tag. They ultimately signed Noah Okafor from AC Milan, but he is unlikely to become a long-term left-wing solution for the Serie A giants, meaning that Garnacho could come into focus again this summer.

In fact, The Athletic's Man Utd correspondent Laurie Whitwell believes that a potential swap deal between Man Utd and Napoli for Osimhen and Garnacho can't be entirely ruled out at this point.

"In terms of what [Man Utd] want from a striker, I think Osimhen would fit that bill," Whitwell said on the Inside United podcast. "So I wonder what happens there.

"The only thing is, Napoli, how much would they want for him? And would some kind of transfer swap make some kind of sense? Obviously, they've been interested in Alejandro Garnacho already. I wouldn't rule out something like that potentially happening."