Man Utd given hope as Napoli chief makes Victor Osimhen transfer admission
Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis has given Manchester United hope of securing a mega-money transfer deal to sign red-hot striker Victor Osimhen.
After the Nigeria international bagged his 20th goal of a spectacular individual season on Tuesday against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League, De Laurentiis confessed that “sometimes there are offers you can’t refuse”. Osimhen, 24, has helped Napoli boast a 15-point lead at the top of Serie A, and United – alongside Premier League rivals Chelsea – have been tipped for a €120million (£107m) transfer swoop this summer.
Erik ten Hag reportedly has the former Lille sensation on a three-man shortlist to solve the Red Devils’ long-term striker issue, with Tottenham talisman Harry Kane and Benfica prodigy Goncalo Ramos joining him. Following Napoli’s 2-0 first-leg win in Germany, De Laurentiis is confident that Osimhen will remain at the club “for a long time” – but admits every player has a price.
Asked by TNT Sports about the striker’s future and that of team-mate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s, the Napoli president replied: “I am very good at making contracts, so when they come to me, they are blocked, so keeping them here won’t be difficult. However, never say never. Sometimes there are offers you can’t refuse, so you never know. To me, we’ll see them shine for a long time.”
Osimhen himself put the ball in United’s court during a recent interview with ESPN. “When you are doing so well, top clubs around the world are watching, mostly in the top five leagues,” the 24-year-old explained. “And to be able to attract interest from these top clubs shows that I am doing great and it gives me the motivation to do even more for myself and my team.
“But I am 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 is going to happen, but that is not up to me. It is for the club to decide.”
Despite the interest from across Europe, Osimhen was determined not to leave Napoli during the January transfer window and remains focussed on winning the club’s first league title in 33 years. During the World Cup break, the Nigerian declared to Il Mattino : “It’s one of the best clubs in Europe and I want to win here.”
“The future is this moment, try to win something relevant in Italy. It’s hard to think about something better than Napoli, one of the best clubs in Italy right now. I am only focused on this season because we haven’t done anything yet. We must win something and then we’ll see what happens.”
