Man Utd could have another Van Nistelrooy on their hands - if they can complete huge £63m transfer

Manchester United have a pretty long list of problems right now, but as Ruben Amorim works to chisel something functional out of a squad which seems entirely ill-suited to his needs, perhaps the most glaring issue remains the lack of a genuinely first-rate goalscorer.

Rasmus Højlund and Joshua Zirkzee look all at sea right now and the less said about Alejandro Garnacho’s current quality in front of goal, perhaps, the better. How long has it been since United had a really top-end striker? There was Marcus Rashford’s golden season in 2022/23 and the last knockings of Cristiano Ronaldo’s time at the top of his game before that, but it’s somehow been 12 years the club last had a player pass 20 goals in a Premier League campaign – Robin van Persie, who scored 26 back in 2012/13.

That was back in an age in which United almost always had a top striker on the books, none better than Ruud van Nistelrooy, who passed that 20-goal mark four times for the club. Enough water has passed beneath the bridges over the Irwell since then that the Dutchman has been on the coaching staff at Old Trafford and now manages a league rival. But could they finally be close to signing a forward who might just trouble the top of the scoring charts once more?

Why Manchester United need Victor Osimhen

Few fans will have missed that the rumour columns are currently abuzz with claims that United are giving serious consideration to the summer signing of Victor Osimhen, the Nigerian striker whose 26 goals propelled Napoli to an unexpected Scudetto back in the 2022/23 campaign.

Currently on loan at Galatasaray after a semi-successful attempt to force his way out of Naples over the summer, TeamTalk report that the forward has a €75m (£62.5m) release clause ready to be triggered, and by all accounts the United scouts are out in force, watching him score goal after goal as he works towards winning his second league title in three years. A Turkish Super Lig winner’s medal may not carry the same clout as one from Serie A, but this is a striker who scores goals with ease – and wins championships.

Even with Osimhen, this United squad would probably be some way away from competing for the Premier League title, but the difference that a striker all but ensured to hit double figures can make can’t be understated. Osimhen has never failed to score at least 10 league goals since breaking through with Charleroi back in 2018 and at 26 should still have several seasons left in his legs.

Osimhen should also suit Amorim’s tactics, which call for a number nine with pace who can ply the channels and drag defenders out of position as well as getting on the end of quick passes with speed, something he has in abundance. Højlund has some of the qualities but he has always been inconsistent across his young career and looks bereft of confidence as it stands.

The Nigerian wouldn’t solve every problem in the squad at a stroke, but his predatory instincts would surely go a long way towards making United competitive once more. He hardly seems to have slacked while on his pseudo-sabbatical at Galatasaray, either, scoring 14 goals in 18 league games and five in six in Europe, a run which included tearing Tottenham’s defence to pieces last year. He is a defender’s nightmare, and precisely the type of forward United need.

Signing Osimhen makes so much sense for United that one almost expects them to pass the opportunity up given their recent track record in the transfer market – but perhaps, just this once, the club will do the obvious thing and do it right. Amorim needed Viktor Gyökeres to lift his Sporting side towards silverware in Portugal, and Osimhen could easily provide the same spark at Old Trafford.

Parisiens and financial problems could stand in the way

Of course, there is more to making a deal happen than wanting it to, and there are many reasons why United could end up missing out even if their recruitment team avoid tripping up over their own feet for once.

For starters, if Osimhen is indeed available for a relatively affordable £63m under the terms of his current contract, then United won’t be the only team at the table. Paris Saint-Germain have been heavily linked with a bid, and there are historical links with Chelsea too. If United finish well down the Premier League table, they may have a hard time convincing the striker to make the switch to Salford, although he has suggested in the past that he’s keen to try his hand at English football.

Then there is the financial aspect of the deal. £63m may not be too much for an elite striker in the modern market, but United are allegedly in danger of running afoul of profit and sustainability rules, which remain in place for the 2025/26 season after clubs failed to agree on proposals to replace them.

That may mean that United have to sell in order to sign, and there are extensive rumours that they could ship the likes of Garnacho, Højlund or even Kobbie Mainoo out in order to finance a rebuild. If United are forced to wait on player sales in order to make ends meet, they may be left waiting too long to strike a deal while other sides circle.

Osimhen is, however, the kind of player who offers a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel for Manchester United. They need goals, pace and a player who can tie back lines in knots, and he’s almost certainly there for the taking given his evident desire to leave Italy. The question is whether this time, the light at the end of the tunnel isn’t another one of those oncoming trains…