Man Utd learn ever-growing Osimhen transfer value as Napoli shortlist three potential successors in indication summer move is on
Napoli have increased their asking price for Man Utd striker target Victor Osimhen yet again, according to an Italian journalist – but there are signs that they could be opening up to a summer sale.
Osimhen is one of the main strikers Man Utd have been looking at as they prepare to gift Erik ten Hag a new target man. Currently, Wout Weghorst is on loan from Burnley, but he will not be their main man up front in the long term.
Thanks to his form in Serie A, Osimhen has emerged as one of the most in-demand strikers in Europe. As a result, it is only natural that he is on Man Utd’s shortlist.
And according to recent reports, they may well be in the lead for his signature, despite competition from the likes of Chelsea, who also need to find a new frontman.
Liverpool have also recently been suggested as possible contenders for Osimhen, although they surely will have other priorities given their weaknesses in other positions.
Therefore, Man Utd will have to act decisively if they want to win the race for the Nigeria international.
Napoli only have Osimhen under contract until 2025, but would be reluctant to lose him given he has scored 18 goals from 22 games this season.
Hence, the latest information is that Napoli are testing the waters to renew Osimhen’s contract. According to journalist Ciro Venerato, they could give him a package that would equate to somewhere between £110,000 and £120,000 per week, roughly.
Napoli make plans for life with or without Osimhen
Venerato said on La Domenica Sportiva on Rai 2: “Napoli are making the appropriate assessments on the future of Osimhen. There have been contacts in recent days for a possible renewal: [Aurelio] De Laurentiis would be willing to offer a salary of €6.5/7m per season.
“On the trail of the Nigerian, however, there are various English clubs, especially Manchester United and Chelsea. The novelty concerns the striker’s price tag: if the Blues bought Enzo Fernandez for €120m, Osimhen’s price tag can cost as much as €160m [above £141m] and can still grow.
“In the meantime, Napoli are evaluating the alternatives, namely [Sebastien] Haller from Borussia [Dortmund], [Jonathan] David from Lille and [Youssef] En-Nesyri from Sevilla.”
Hence, any move for Osimhen might break the British transfer record. If he can replicate his current form in the Premier League, it would be a thrilling move from financial and technical standpoints.
But there is plenty of work to do for Man Utd to come up with the most convincing offer for the 24-year-old.
That said, Napoli are obviously aware of how much interest their star players will be generating while they lead the Serie A standings. They evolved their squad smartly last summer, so will be getting their succession plan in place for Osimhen too.
Only time will tell if that is as a precautionary measure, or because he might be Man Utd bound.
