Rio Ferdinand has admitted that he will be disappointed if Manchester United do not secure one of his favourite players after a £50 million bid was submitted.
Manchester United are set to rebuild their attacking line this summer after a disappointing 2024/25 campaign that ended with a 15th-place finish in the Premier League, with a lack of goals a key factor in their struggles.
Bruno Fernandes finished as United’s top scorer with 19 goals, while Alejandro Garnacho and Amad both contributed 11. Rasmus Højlund added 10, but no other player reached double figures across all competitions.
The club have already secured the £62.5 million signing of Matheus Cunha and are in advanced talks with Brentford over a move for Bryan Mbeumo. Discussions are ongoing as both clubs work to agree final terms for the Cameroon international.
United are also pursuing a new central striker. While Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyökeres was a top target, the Swedish forward has reportedly agreed personal terms on a five-year contract with Arsenal, with a club-to-club agreement expected to follow.
With Gyökeres seemingly off the table, United are now assessing alternative options to strengthen their front line.
Ferdinand pleading United to sign Osimhen
A name United have been long linked with across the last few seasons is Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, who former United defender and club legend Rio Ferdinand believes is a perfect option for Amorim up front next season.
Osimhen is reportedly available for just over £60 million but commands wage demands of over £350,000 per week, which is too high for United to afford. Meanwhile, Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Galatasaray have submitted a bid worth around €50 million (£43 million) plus add-ons.
“I’m like a broken record. If anyone listens to my podcast, I’ve said Osimhen for a while now,” the former centre-back told talkSPORT.
“He’s a centre-forward, he’s experienced, he knows how to score goals at the top level. I’ve seen today that Galatasaray have put a £50 million bid in.
“I mean, £50 million to get a top-class striker, one of the top strikers in the world, is absolute peanuts in today’s market. I’ll be disappointed if he goes to Galatasaray for that type of money when Man United are crying out for a No. 9.”
When further pressed if he would be disappointed if United missed out on Gyökeres, Ferdinand replied: “I’ll be disappointed to miss out on Gyokeres if we don’t get a No.9 in. But if we got Osimhen, then I wouldn’t be too concerned.”
Ferdinand is already set for disappointment
Unfortunately for Ferdinand, Osimhen has already reportedly ruled out signing for United this summer.
According to reports from Turkey, United were engaged in talks for the Nigerian international earlier this summer, but explained to him that if he were to sign for United, he would need to lower his salary demands.
Osimhen reportedly turned down this proposal and has now seemingly settled on Galatasaray as his preferred destination, as they have offered the best wage package among European clubs.
The 26-year-old spent last season on loan at Galatasaray after falling out with Napoli’s board, scoring 37 goals and providing eight assists in 41 appearances.
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