Manchester United have been strongly linked with a move for Victor Osimhen this summer and now a new update has emerged on the club's pursuit of the player.
What's the latest on Victor Osimhen's future?
According to Italian news outlet Il Mattino, Manchester United have an advantage in the battle to sign the Napoli striker this summer.
As per the report, the Red Devils will need to meet a mammoth €160m (£139m) price tag in order to secure the services of Osimhen in the upcoming transfer window, but are considered the front-runners due to negotiations attempted last year when they offered Cristiano Ronaldo as an asset to the Serie A giants.
What could Osimhen offer to Man United?
It is no secret that Erik ten Hag will make filling the striker role this summer his highest priority, with the club unable to replace Ronaldo since his shock exit at the end of last year.
Ronaldo's departure has presented an opportunity for the Red Devils to find their centre-forward of the future who can offer consistent goal contributions to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Wayne Rooney, Eric Cantona and Ruud van Nistelrooy to name a few who became greats in the position at Old Trafford.
As a result, the signing of Osimhen would be a major coup for the Red Devils as the 24-year-old can offer consistent goal contributions and become the focal point in the team for years to come.
Over 35 appearances, the Nigerian striker has scored 28 goals and tallied up five assists – with a goal contribution every 82 minutes played, which would be a huge asset to Man United if he could keep up his form in the Premier League.
Osimhen has deservedly earned high praise for his outstanding form in Italy this season, with even Nigeria’s president-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, weighing in on the striker's impact in Napoli’s Scudetto win:
"The real deal, or idán gangan as younger folks may describe him; Victor has continued the fine tradition of Nigeria’s footballing excellence on the global stage. We are all proud of him and wish him well in what is already a remarkable career.”
The thought, therefore, of Ten Hag's men lining up with the attacker next to Bruno Fernandes is a mouth-watering one.
Indeed, it would give the Man United midfielder a high-quality teammate who can consistently convert the chances he delivers into the box.
Nobody in the Premier League has created more chances this season than Fernandes who boasts 103 creations to his name at a stunning rate of 3.1 per game.
That would be a tantalising prospect for anyone in the game, let alone someone of Osimhen's pedigree, with Roy Keane having claimed in the past that Fernandes' vision is phenomenal.
"His quality of his balls into the box – if you’re a striker it’s a dream, you make some runs and he picks you out," he noted.
With that being said, if the Man United hierarchy could secure the signature of Osimhen this summer, it could spark a huge improvement in the attacking threat going into next season.