Man Utd chances of signing Victor Osimhen revealed as Saudi prepare HUGE contract offer

Manchester United continue to be linked with a move for Victor Osimhen but a move to Old Trafford looks increasingly unlikely and Saudi are willing to offer him a significant pay packet and now look like strong favourites to secure his signature.

It’s no secret that the Red Devils’ top priority is to sign a new striker. Although Osimhen has been discussed by director of recruitment Christopher Vivell and technical director Jason Wilcox, United are not currently planning to make a move, and instead are focused on trying to win the race for Ipswich striker Liam Delap.

Osimhen, 26, has scored an impressive 30 goals in 35 matches on loan with Galatasaray this season. He is expected to leave parent club Napoli permanently this summer, and has a €75m (£64m) release clause in his contract.

This makes Osimhen significantly more expensive than Delap, who, as previously reported, is the leading target for Man Utd. If Ipswich are relegated, which is inevitable, he will be available for £30m. Signing Delap would also give Ruben Amorim more wiggle room to make another signing, with Wolves’ Matheus Cunha a key target. United want to do both deals quickly.

Man Utd are not actively trying for Osimhen, and TEAMtalk understands that there is a concrete possibility of the Nigerian international moving to Saudi Arabia.

Chelsea were interested in Osimhen last summer, but Saudi club Al-Ahli were closest to signing him on a permanent deal, before they got Ivan Toney from Brentford. Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis found out about the £40m fee on offer for Toney and upped the price for Osimhen, and the transfer collapsed as a result. But Osimhen himself was prepared to switch to Jeddah and had already agreed terms.

Saudi dealmakers remain keen to strike a deal for the prolific striker and would be willing to pay his release clause. The club is not yet decided, but it is unlikely to be Al-Ahli again, even if Bobby Firmino leaves this summer as expected.

Instead, Al-Hilal is seen as a potential destination. The money allocated to try and sign Mohamed Salah has been retained by Hilal, meaning they have significant central funds to add signings.

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Saudi willing to offer Victor Osimhen HUGE wage

Osimhen’s wage demands for European suitors are £250,000 per week, which in itself is a tall order for Man Utd, as they are actively looking to reduce their wage bill.

However, we understand that Saudi are willing to pay Osimhen triple that amount – £750,000 – to make the switch to the Gulf State. Not only that, when Osimhen rejected Al-Hilal back in summer 2023, his wage packet was increased three times in a bid to get him to change his mind.

Last summer, Osimhen was happy to move to Saudi, said yes to to joining Al-Ahli, and was happy with the finances on offer, only for Napoli to scupper a deal.

Saudi dealmakers are willing to pay Osimhen’s €75m release clause in full, too, and the expectation among other suitors is that Saudi is the Nigerian striker’s most likely destination.

TEAMtalk can also confirm that reports suggesting that Man Utd have reached a verbal ‘agreement’ with Osimhen are wide of the mark.

It has also been claimed recently that there is ‘division’ behind the scenes at Old Trafford over whether Osimhen is the correct target to pursue. Yet in reality, United are only focused on Delap, and battling Chelsea and Newcastle for his signature.

PSG could reignite interest in Victor Osimhen

If Osimhen ends up staying in Europe, it’s Paris Saint-Germain who could be a club to watch. Osimhen actually agreed terms with PSG last summer, but the French side couldn’t get anywhere near to Napoli’s demands at the time, when his release clause was in excess of €120m (£102.5m). Instead they offered around €80m, which is €5m less than Osimhen’s release clause now. 

PSG could add another striker this summer because Randal Kolo Muani could leave permanently after his loan with Juventus, while Marco Asensio could do the same following his loan with Aston Villa.

PSG will therefore have space in the squad for Osimhen and they could find his new €75m release clause more appealing, and the chance to pair him again with former Napoli teammate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

Despite being ready to join Al-Ahli last summer, it’s worth noting that Osimhen had also said yes to PSG’s £250,000 per week package.

Osimhen will definitely leave Napoli, but Man Utd are not working on a deal, and Saudi is a viable option for the Nigerian.

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