Rio Ferdinand
Osimhen: Ferdinand begs Man Utd to sign ‘world class’ superstar
Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has demanded INEOS stage a transfer intervention to bring Victor Osimhen to Old Trafford after the Nigerian striker finally agreed to a move elsewhere and with a big update from Italy on the striker’s proposed next club.
Despite Osimhen‘s brilliant form in front of goal over several seasons, there appears a surprise shortage of genuine interest in bringing the player to the Premier League, even though Napoli have made it clear they will not stand in his way of a sale this summer. And having set a €75m (£64.6m, $88m) price on the striker, suitors know exactly what it would take to sign the striker who boasts 151 career goals.
Manchester United‘s need to strengthen up front is obvious. Ruben Amorim’s side managed a paltry 44 goals in 38 Premier League games last season, a figure better than only four other sides in the top flight and a colossal 42 shy of the league’s best, Liverpool.
And while Ruben Amorim and Co have put their focus on strengthening their attack, their current onus is on finally getting a deal over the line for Bryan Mbeumo, with a third bid due to be lodged with Brentford, which they hope will finally do the trick.
However, they also want a new No.9 to spearhead the Portuguese’s 3-4-2-1 formation and Ferdinand insists there are fewer better options out there than Osimhen.
Now, in an appearance on talkSPORT, Ferdinand has begged his former club to intervene and hijack Galatasaray’s plans to sign the 26-year-old on a permanent basis.
“I’m like a broken record. If anyone listens to my podcast, I’ve said Osimhen for a while now,” Ferdinand said.
“He’s a centre-forward, he’s experienced, he knows how to score goals at the top level. I’ve seen today that Galatasaray have put a £50m bid in.
“I mean, £50m to get a top-class striker, one of the top strikers in the world, is absolute peanuts in today’s market. I’ll be disappointed if he goes to Galatasaray for that type of money when Man United are crying out for a No. 9.”
“I’ll be disappointed to miss out on Gyokeres if we don’t get a No.9 in. But if we got Osimhen, then I wouldn’t be too concerned,” he concluded.
However, Ferdinand’s pleas may come too late, with an update from Italy suggesting a permanent move to Galatasaray was closer than ever after his exit clause was met and with Fabrizio Romano revealing why a move to Old Trafford has never been on the cards.
According to Italian transfer reporter, Gianluca Di Marzio, the Turkish side have now confirmed they are willing to meet Napoli’s €75m valuation for Osimhen.
And in a post on his X account, he has revealed they have offered him a contract worth €16m net over four years – worth around £66,000 a week after tax.
Foot Mercato’s Santi Aouna, though, states there still remains plenty of talking to do before a deal can be reached, with Napoli demanding one immediate payment to secure the deal; though Gala’s proposal is over what he describes as ‘multiple term payments’.
Aouna also claims Al-Hilal are standing by to hijack the deal, having made it clear to Napoli they are willing to pay what it takes to prise the Nigerian star to the Saudi Pro-League.
Wherever he ends up, and it does seem Galatasaray are now strong favourites amid claims Osimhen has chosen to go there after enjoying his season on loan in Istanbul, Fabrizio Romano has opened up to explain why a move to Old Trafford was never a realistic option.
Taking to YouTube to detail the situation and also shed light on why Man Utd didn’t swoop, Romano explained: “I always told you that in the summer transfer window that for Man Utd the deal was not advancing for one reason.
“Victor Osimhen never wanted to reduce his salary request despite what Manchester United and more English clubs wanted to do. For Osimhen, that was never the case.
“Also Osimhen has always been very happy at Galatasaray. Galatasaray now have an agreement on the contract with Osimhen until 2028 with an option for 2029.
“Galatasaray are negotiating with Napoli. €50m plus €5m rejected. €60m rejected. Napoli want €75m, the release clause, saying that Al Hilal are prepared to pay for the player.
“But the player has an agreement with Galatasaray, at the moment not with Al Hilal. This is why Napoli are insisting on a higher fee but Galatasaray are seen as the favourites to sign Osimhen with conversations ongoing.”
On the subject of a new striker, United have been offered the chance to sign three Premier League-proven strikers with 290 goals between them and all for free, while United’s wider intentions for the striker position have been revealed.
Meanwhile, United’s plans to invest in exciting young talents this summer will see them launch a bid for one of the most promising midfielders in Argentina, per reports.
Elsewhere, director of football Jason Wilcox is also reported to be in discussions with the entourage of a £52m-rated Brazilian midfielder, though they will face competition from two Italian giants for the deal.
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