The target of Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen has suggested that he could leave Napoli in the summer, amid interest from Manchester United.
Speaking to Italian publication Il Mattino, the Serie A star left open questions about his future, though he appeared to quash any notion of a January change.
“The future is this moment. It’s winning something important in Italy. It’s hard to think of anything better than Napoli: they’re one of the biggest teams in Europe, they’re an extraordinary club and it’s normal that now they’re only focused on what we have to do this season.
“Because we haven’t done anything yet: we have to win something.
“Then we’ll see what happens.”
Napoli’s great start to the season has seen them climb to the top of the Serie A table and overtake Liverpool at the top of their Champions League group.
With ten goals and two assists in 14 appearances, Osimhen has been instrumental in their fantastic performance.
A higher goal
The Nigerian is believed to be at the top of United’s shortlist for the (usually) vacant center forward spot at Old Trafford.
Anthony Martial’s fitness problems this season, coupled with the sacking of Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of the World Cup, accelerated the club’s plans and made the number nine position the top priority for recruitment.
And while it’s unlikely that a top-line forward will be signed in the winter window, there’s no doubt the Red Devils will look to strengthen up front in the summer.
Osimhen’s comments certainly leave the door open for an exit at that point and suggest the player could be on the move whether he wins the silver medal in Naples or not.
A prime contender for Premier League football, the top scorer in Serie A looks set to spend the rest of the season at his current club.
But Manchester United will certainly see an opportunity in the summer as they look to give Erik ten Hag the tools to compete for top honours.
It’s worth the wait?
The key issue at United at the moment is clearly a lack of goals.
The Red Devils have scored fewer Premier League goals than all but one team in the top half of the table, with only Chelsea (who changed managers weeks into the season) suffering a lower tally.
Osimhen’s timid response to questions about his future will do nothing to help United’s woes in front of goal for the foreseeable future, and that could be an obstacle to any potential move, even in the summer.
Ten Hag insists on his need for more offensive weapons in the here and now.
With the club changing its recruitment strategy to avoid disruption, United may be better served finding a striker who is immediately available and is also a long-term upgrade for the team.
Easier said than done, though, and there are few, if any, elite forwards who will be available mid-season.
United have been linked with Cody Gakpo and Joao Felix as potential winter recruits to refresh Ten Hag’s attacking options.
And while both players can play roles at the top, neither is a genuine centre-forward, while either could happily coexist with a player of Osimhen’s profile.
If a genuine centre-forward of exceptional quality were to become available in January, the summer could well be too late for the Napoli striker, but such a situation does not seem likely at the moment.
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