An important factor in Manchester United’s decision to reject signing Victor Osimhen last summer has been revealed.
Manchester United were reported to be in hot pursuit of Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen throughout the summer and January transfer window. Galatasaray put a huge £120 million price tag on the striker, who has been followed by a number of the world’s top clubs.
Osimhen was seen as an option for Manchester United in the summer, who were on the hunt for a big-name, starting striker. United eventually went with the signing of Benjamin Šeško from RB Leipzig for £73 million.
Rumours between United and Osimhen persisted after Sesko’s injury in November, leaving United without a striker for several games. Joshua Zirkzee’s inconsistent form and rumours of a move away have left fans speculating whether a big-name striker is still needed.
Michael Carrick has chosen to go without a traditional striker in all his games so far, leaving Sesko on the bench. This hasn’t stopped Sesko from being in top form, however, scoring important goals against Everton, West Ham and Fulham.
Why United ruled out signing Osimhen
Former Manchester United first-team coach Benni McCarthy spoke with BBC Sport on the failed pursuit of Osimhen from United. McCarthy played a key role in recruiting strikers under Erik ten Hag and considered Osimhen the “perfect fit.”
At the time, Osimhen had been on top form for Napoli, scoring 31 goals in 39 games in all competitions. This form saw Napoli win their first Serie A title since 1990, pushing the striker as one of the world’s best.
McCarthy revealed that a major factor in United’s decision to rule out the striker was his involvement in the AFCON tournament, which falls in the middle of the European season and regularly sees top players unavailable for club games.
“If you spend £100 million on a player, you don’t want to lose him for Afcon,” says McCarthy. Seeing a star striker out for so many important matches was a risk that United were unwilling to take under Ten Hag.
However, United fans will be very familiar with the losses of attacking players to AFCON, with United winning just once while Bryan Mbeumo and Amad competed in the competition between December and January. If Osimhen was the club’s first-choice striker, this could have been even worse.
Want to stay as up-to-date as possible on the latest Manchester United updates? Add UtdDistrict as a preferred source on Google for news you can rely on.
Could Osimhen still join the Premier League
McCarthy continued to speak on United’s decision, saying, “So the decision was made. Literally [a] big part was because of the AFCON, and Victor Osimhen’s name got scratched off – not a player of interest because of that.”
United lost top players Bryan Mbeumo, Noussair Mazraoui and Amad over the winter period, with the international tournament being played, taking big hits to the lineup. The tournament’s frequency has now been changed, however.
Read More: Manchester United ‘agree’ first summer transfer as move could open door for standout youngster
AFCON has now changed to take place every four years instead of every two. This change in frequency will allow players to be available for winter fixtures more often and could make players taking part in the tournament more attractive signings.
Osimhen has been on top form for Galatasaray in both the Super Lig and the Champions League, which may attract a big-money move for the striker in the summer. Interest from Barcelona and Chelsea was previously reported so if United were to pursuit the deal a high price tag is expected.
Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is streamed live every Thursday at 14:00 pm (GMT) on the United View YouTube channel.