Ben Jacobs is reporting that Man Utd ‘love’ Napoli forward Victor Osimhen but they are aware that it will take a ‘humongous’ deal to sign him.
The Red Devils are in the market for a new striker heading into the summer transfer window. Wout Weghorst is currently their preferred option up front but he is only on loan.
Man Utd are expected to spend big on a new attacker and Osimhen is among the players they are being linked with. He has been in stunning form for Napoli this term as he’s scored 18 goals in 22 games this term.
Recent reports have suggested that he could cost as much as £133m this summer so it will be difficult to get a deal over the line.
United may have to look at alternatives and Jacobs is reporting that their ‘admiration’ of Roma forward Tammy Abraham is ‘very genuine’.
The England international scored 17 league goals in his debut campaign in 2021/22. His form has dipped this term but he has still been involved in nine goals in 22 outings.
Jacobs has stated that Erik ten Hag ‘likes’ Abraham but the journalist has explained that ‘others are ahead of him in the queue’.
‘For Manchester United, the admiration for Abraham is very genuine. Ten Hag likes like the player. But like Chelsea there are others ahead of him in the queue,’ Jacobs wrote for Caught Offside.
‘We know Manchester United love Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, as in fact do Chelsea. But Napoli are flying and Osimhen is thriving with 17 Serie A goals in just 18 games.
‘His price-tag will be humongous and it’s premature to predict if a deal is possible because if Napoli win Serie A there’s a realistic chance the Nigerian will stay and build on his prolific partnership with Kvicha Kvaratskhelia, a player both Manchester City and Newcastle are watching. Manchester United won’t bill Abraham as a ‘back up’ to Osimhen, but it’s not a bad way of putting it.
‘There is also a problem with the market at the moment and getting any of these names at a decent price. if you look at Enzo Fernandez moving for a British-transfer record €121m, and consider Mykhaylo Mudryk’s price could become €100m, even though these players are slightly different to Abraham, you can see why selling clubs from Europe may hold Premier League suitors to ransom.
‘This isn’t just a Chelsea-created issue. It’s also down to Newcastle owners PIF coming into the Premier League and maybe a rich new Manchester United owner incoming.
‘The market has essentially been inflated and summer might therefore prove more of a seller’s market, which something we traditionally only associate with January windows.’
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