Victor Osimhen: The Striker Manchester United Needs
Victor Osimhen’s name just won’t leave Manchester United alone.
From Germany to Belgium, France to Italy and now Turkey, the Nigerian striker has built a career on forcing clubs to take notice. He first flickered into European view at Wolfsburg, but it was at Charleroi in Belgium where the raw talent turned into something far more serious. Goals arrived, scouts followed, and suddenly he was no longer a prospect but a problem for defenders.
Lille felt the full benefit in 2019-20. One explosive season in France was enough to convince Napoli to gamble big, and that bet paid out in spectacular fashion. Osimhen powered the club to a historic Serie A title, hitting the net 31 times across the 2022-23 campaign and dragging Napoli back to the summit of Italian football for the first time in 33 years.
Those numbers echo loudly in England. Premier League heavyweights have been circling for some time. Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea have all been linked, all reported to have weighed up whether this was the moment to strike for a forward built for high-intensity football.
Instead, the next chapter took him to Turkey. Galatasaray now enjoy the benefits of his ruthless streak, and he has not eased off. Sixty-five goals in 78 appearances tell their own story. Different league, same result: Osimhen scores.
That record, combined with his profile, makes one question inevitable: how long before he tests himself in the Premier League?
Pace. Power. Relentless movement. A finish that can be thunderous or ice-cold. On paper, he looks tailor-made for England’s top flight. When that idea was put to Andy Cole, a man who knows exactly what it takes to score goals for Manchester United, the Treble winner did not hesitate.
“He does. He scores goals. He scored goals in Italy and he's scoring goals in Turkey as well,” Cole told GOAL, speaking in association with Unibet. Then came the caveat that every recruitment department lives with.
“But, you know, it depends. There's many different factors in signing a player from a respective country. It's not all about just the salary or the transfer fee. There could be many different things that go on. If he does come to the Premier League, which I think he will be very good in the Premier League, you never know who he'll go to.”
That uncertainty has not stopped former United players from pushing their old club towards him. The call from ex-pros is growing louder.
Patrice Evra, never shy about spelling out what he thinks United lack, kept it simple when asked what is needed at Old Trafford.
“A striker, someone who scores a goal. I think that's what I'm looking at. That's why for me, Osimhen is the best. He’s a perfect example,” he told GOAL.
Louis Saha, another former United forward and a player who understands the weight of that No.9 shirt, has gone even deeper in his praise. For him, Osimhen is not just a good fit; he is the type of character who could change the mood of an entire dressing room.
“I really like Victor Osimhen. He's definitely got the character, he's got the quality,” Saha said. “He’s also got good European pedigree: he was a success in France, he was a champion in Italy with Napoli and he’s gone to Turkey with Galatasaray and been brilliant, a move that he probably didn't want, let's be honest.
“He’s scored goals at every level. He’s got Champions League experience, and further more, he’s got the type of personality and charisma that this United squad could really benefit from.
“I think he would be a transformational signing for Manchester United. If you think about the pressure that he was under at Napoli, firing the club to its first title in 33 years, then he’s the perfect man to lead the line for Manchester United. I think he would have a huge impact at United. I would love to see the club hierarchy move for him, I think he is exactly what we need.”
The argument is clear. Osimhen has proved he can handle expectation, deliver under suffocating pressure and carry a club’s hopes on his shoulders. United, still searching for a ruthless, talismanic centre-forward, keep being pointed in the same direction by those who have worn the shirt.
The question now is not whether Victor Osimhen is ready for the Premier League – it’s which English giant will finally decide they can’t afford to let him go elsewhere.
