Victor Osimhen has told Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag precisely what he wants to hear
During the upcoming summer transfer window, Manchester United may have over £100 million to spend as they continue to rebuild their team.
Following the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo mid-season, Erik ten Hag and his team must decide whether it would be more advantageous to acquire Victor Osimhen or Harry Kane, although this decision may not be straightforward given various factors.
However, as evidenced by their pursuit of Frenkie de Jong last summer, there are strategies to deal with missing out on primary targets. For example, in that situation, Ten Hag used the allocated funds to acquire Casemiro and Christian Eriksen, which turned out to be a successful backup plan.
The primary concern for Ten Hag and other important decision-makers as they search for a new striker is whether they prefer someone who excels at making runs behind the defense and playing off the shoulder of defenders or someone who is more suited to dropping deeper and functioning as a playmaker.
Osimhen and Kane possess distinct qualities, and Ten Hag will need to adjust his tactical approach depending on which one he acquires. However, the acquisition of either player should provide a guarantee of scoring goals, which will alleviate some of the burden on the outstanding Marcus Rashford.
Manchester United have started planning for the acquisition of a long-term replacement for Ronaldo in the coming summer, but external factors may significantly impact their decision when it comes to signing their next number nine.
The question remains whether the selling clubs, such as Scudetto hopefuls Napoli or Tottenham, will be willing to negotiate and, if so, what price they will demand for their highly-valued players.
Manchester United can only do so much by demonstrating their appeal as a team under Ten Hag or by securing a return to the Champions League. However, even with prior knowledge of these factors, they were unable to successfully acquire their top targets last summer.
Despite their positive relationship, Ten Hag was unsuccessful in persuading De Jong to join Manchester United, as the player chose to stay at Camp Nou for at least one more season.
United can learn from this experience by evaluating how long they should pursue their top striker targets, but ultimately, the failure to sign De Jong was outside of their control.
De Jong did not appear entirely comfortable with the idea of a move, which must be a top consideration for any potential striker signing, whether it is Osimhen or Kane.
Fortunately, Osimhen has shown some willingness to consider a big-money move, which puts him within Ten Hag’s sights.
“When you are doing so well, top clubs around the world are watching,” acknowledged Osimhen during a chat with ESPN before leading Napoli to victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League on Tuesday night. His opener in a 2-0 win was his 20th goal of the season.
In his latest performance on the grand stage, Osimhen managed to outperform one of the potential options who had been loosely linked with Manchester United, Randal Kolo Muani, who was sent off before witnessing Osimhen’s impressive display.
“I’m focused on Napoli, right now, and they have the final say. I just want to help my team to win matches and win trophies. At the end of the season, we will see what’s going to happen, but that is not up to me. It’s for the club to decide.” That middle sentence will have mostly been music to Ten Hag’s ears.
Despite placing his trust in Anthony Martial during the pre-season, Manchester United’s manager has had limited opportunities to field his preferred striker this season due to Martial’s four separate injury setbacks. Considering this, it is remarkable to see what Ten Hag has accomplished, and what he might achieve before the season concludes.
United is planning for the future by targeting a long-term successor to Ronaldo and Martial when the transfer market reopens. Osimhen has not directly requested United to approach him, but his comments can be seen as an invitation for potential suitors to make an offer.
Moreover, his performances in the Champions League have demonstrated his ability to handle pressure and perform on the biggest stage, which is yet another indication for Ten Hag that Osimhen may be his man this summer.
In conclusion, Osimhen has given a more significant hint about his potential interest in joining United than De Jong ever did during their previous chase for him. The only remaining obstacle is the substantial financial package required to acquire his services.
Victor Osimhen has told Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag precisely what he wants to hear
