Manchester United should ditch any pursuit of Victor Osimhen after the forward reportedly demanded £10million per year. It has been claimed that the Red Devils are considering triggering the £62m release clause of the Nigeria international in the summer.
Osimhen remains contracted to Napoli but has spent the season on loan at Galatasaray. He is understood to be one of several forwards United are considering signing to bolster their attacking options.
But INEOS may have to explore other targets after Osimhen reportedly demanded £10m per year. According to Fabrizio Romano, speaking to Give Me Sport, the 26-year-old wants to remain on the same salary he earns at Napoli.
That would place him fourth-highest on United’s at close to £200,000 per week. Only Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes, Mason Mount and Matthijs de Ligt earn more. It is ever so slightly higher than the £9.8m dished out to Harry Maguire each year, with figures coming from well-respected salary database capology.
United must cut costs this year. The list of high-paid failures at Old Trafford cannot grow any longer. INEOS figures have voiced a need to sign younger players who demand smaller salaries and who can be developed into top stars in the future.
Actions speak louder than words and so it remains to be seen whether United continue to target Osimhen, who has scored 14 goals in the Turkish top-flight this season.
There is also the major issue of optics. A big-spending summer window involving the arrivals of several stars on huge contracts might not be an ideal look when INEOS have just announced another round of redundancies, with up to 200 staff members set to lose their jobs.
There are other options for United to consider ahead of the summer transfer window. Viktor Gyokeres is understood to be on a much smaller salary at Sporting CP and his demands could be less extreme.
Gyokeres excelled under Ruben Amorim in Portugal and suited the United boss’ 3-4-2-1 system as a hard-working forward. The former Coventry man has continued to score goals even after Amorim’s departure and now has 78 in only 87 appearances for Sporting.
United’s own forwards have struggled, with £72m addition Ramus Hojlund particularly unimpressive since Amorim’s arrival last November.
