Manchester United

Manchester United

Premier League • England

Victor Osimhen situation cleared up by agent, as inside track given on Cristiano Ronaldo swap with Man Utd

Ben Stewart
Victor Osimhen, Napoli v Sassuolo April 2022

Victor Osimhen is one of the most in-demand strikers in European football and his agent has cleared up his current situation at Napoli.

The 23-year-old had been linked with a move to Man United during the summer transfer window. Reports at the time claimed that a swap deal involving Cristiano Ronaldo was being considered.

Osimhen has started the season well for Napoli and has scored four goals so far.

The forward came to the rescue in Napoli’s recent game against Bologna. He scored the winning goal to make it 3-2 after coming off the bench as a second-half substitute.

Since joining Napoli, Osimhen has continued to develop as a player. The club purchased him in 2020 for a club-record fee.

He finished last season with 18 goals in all competitions and was their top goalscorer. Across his 70 appearances for the club, he has scored a total of 32 goals.

Napoli finished third in Serie A last season and qualifying for the Champions League was crucial in keeping Osimhen around.

Agent clears up Osimhen situation

Roberto Calenda, who is the agent of Osimhen, recently explained the striker’s current situation at Napoli.

He told Radio Kiss Kiss: “There are many clubs interested in Victor but he wants to stay, he’s really happy with Napoli project.

“We’ve been very clear this summer after strange rumours [Man Utd and Ronaldo swap deal], he wanted to stay.

“It was Victor’s will to stay at Napoli and play the Champions League that he won last year together with his team-mates. Victor wanted just that: to have a great year with Napoli, between the league and the Champions League.

“He has a long contract with the blue club. The market is dynamic, but our will is to continue with Napoli and continue to do well.”

Osimhen’s current contract with Napoli runs until the summer of 2025. As this is the case, Napoli are under no pressure to sell him despite the reported interest.

The 23-year-old has missed a chunk of the season so far through injury. He was forced to come off in Napoli’s 4-1 thrashing of Liverpool back in September.

Since returning to fitness, Osimhen has scored in back-to-back games and has picked up from where he left off last season.

Napoli are on the cusp of something special 

Luciano Spalletti’s side have had an excellent start to their new campaign. Napoli currently sit top of Serie A and they lead the way in their Champions League group.

They are currently on a six-game winning streak in Serie A and remain unbeaten in the league.

Spalletti’s side have averaged 2.5 goals per game and have averaged 2.6 points per game in the league. If they were to carry on with their current ratio, they would finish the season with 98 points.

Napoli have also made light work of their Champions League campaign up until this point. They are currently the competition’s top scorers with 17 goals in their opening four matches.

If they can continue to play with the same intensity throughout the season, there’s no reason why they can’t achieve something special this year.

With the club on an upwards trajectory, they currently have a strong hand when it comes to keeping hold of their key players.

Given Napoli’s reluctance to let Osimhen leave anytime soon, Man United may be forced elsewhere to look for another striker.

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