It is no secret that Manchester United will be in the market to improve their squad in the upcoming summer transfer window after a dismal Premier League season.
The Red Devils lost for the 16th time in the top-flight this term when they were beaten 4-3 by Brentford on Sunday, and it is a result that leaves them 15th in the table.
Ruben Amorim, despite still having a chance to win the Europa League this season, will know that the supporters expect better from the club in the Premier League next term and beyond.
Scoring goals has been a clear issue for Manchester United in the top-flight, despite finding the back of the net three times against the Bees, as their top goalscorer after 35 matches is Bruno Fernandes with eight.
United do not have a centre-forward who can find the back of the net on a regular basis, a Wayne Rooney, a Cristiano Ronaldo, a Robin Van Persie, and that is a hole that they are reportedly looking to fill this summer.
The Red Devils have been linked with plenty of forward players in recent weeks, ahead of the next transfer window, including Victor Osimhen.
Manchester United's interest in Victor Osimhen
It was reported last month that the Premier League giants are pushing to strike a deal for the Nigeria international to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
United are hoping to snap up the Napoli frontman in the summer transfer window for a fee of £40m, because his current contract with the Italian team is due to expire in the summer of 2026.
This means that if Napoli do not cash in on him this year, then they run the risk of losing the striker on a free transfer at the end of next season, as he could negotiate a pre-contract deal from January onwards.
Osimhen is currently on loan at Galatasaray, though, and it remains to be seen whether or not the Turkish giants will be able to compete for United for his signature this summer.
The Red Devils are not the only Premier League team in the running for the Nigerian marksman, though, as Chelsea have also been linked with an interest in the striker, who is said to be interested in a move to Stamford Bridge.
Manchester United, as aforementioned, need a regular goalscorer and that is why a move to sign the £40m-rated forward could make a lot of sense for INEOS and Amorim.
Why Manchester United need Victor Osimhen
The Nigeria international is a reliable and consistent goalscorer who could find the back of the net on a regular basis for the English giants, which means that he could fill the hole that they have in their squad at present.
No player has hit double figures for league goals at Old Trafford this season. Meanwhile, Osimhen has scored at least ten league goals in each of his six full seasons as a first-team player for Lille, Napoli, and Galatasaray.
The 26-year-old star plundered a staggering 26 goals in the Serie A during the 2022/23 campaign, as shown in the highlights above, which helped Napoli to the title alongside Georgian star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s contributions.
Osimhen scored 55 Serie A goals in his last three league seasons for Napoli combined before joining Galatasaray on loan last summer, where he has thrived in front of goal once again.
Appearances
26
7
xG
22.53
8.86
Goals
24
6
Big chances created
11
1
Assists
5
1
As you can see in the table above, the loanee has racked up a whopping 30 goals in the Super Lig and the Europa League combined, to go along with 16 ‘big chances’ created, in just 33 appearances.
Osimhen is a ruthless and consistent goalscorer who has proven himself in Italy and in Turkey in recent seasons, which is why he could be exactly what United need with their current lack of regular goalscorers in the Premier League.
Whilst the £40m-rated forward could be the perfect signing for United in the short-term to solve their attacking problems, Amorim may already have an exciting homegrown version of Osimhen brewing at Carrington in Chido Obi-Martin.
Why Chido Obi Martin could be Man Utd's own Victor Osimhen
The 17-year-old striker, signed from Arsenal this season, was handed his full Premier League debut with a start against Brentford as the lone number nine on Sunday, in what was his sixth appearance of the season in the top-flight.
It was a difficult afternoon for the youngster, who lost seven of his nine duels and failed to find the target with either of his shots on goal, but that was to be expected at this stage in his career.
The Manchester United forward has yet to score a goal at senior level, in seven outings for the Red Devils, but his record in academy football suggests that the potential is there for him to kick on in the future.
Arsenal podcaster Will Balsam once described Obi-Martin as a “homegrown Osimhen” and a “physical menace” whilst he was firing in the goals for the Gunners at youth level, and he does share a similar frame – standing at 6 foot 2 – to the current United target.
The Danish marksman, who was described by talent scout Jacek Kulig as a “goalscoring machine”, also has the goalscoring record to back up a comparison with Osimhen, having racked up a whopping 32 goals in 21 matches for Arsenal at U18 level before his move to Carrington.
Arsenal U18s
21
32
Arsenal U21s
2
0
Man Utd U18s
10
12
Man Utd U21s
4
2
Man Utd first-team
7
0
As you can see in the table above, Obi-Martin has also excelled as a goalscorer in the youth ranks in Manchester since his move up north, with 14 goals in 14 matches for the U18s and U21s combined.
These statistics show that United have an incredibly exciting young striker on their hands, as he has delivered an exceptional number of goals for Arsenal and the Red Devils at youth level in recent years.
Whilst he may not be ready to deliver goals in the Premier League at the age of 17, as evidenced by his performance on Sunday, Obi-Martin could be a future star for the club if they manage his development right.
He could eventually emerge as a homegrown version of Osimhen and having the Nigeria international at Old Trafford as a mentor, someone to learn from, could benefit his development next season, which is another reason why INEOS should sanction a move for the Napoli man.
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It would then be down to the teenage forward to make the most of the opportunities that he gets to shine at first-team level, whilst developing in training by learning from Osimhen, before being United’s homegrown version of the striker further down the line.
