By Wale Mustapha
Premier League club Manchester United are preparing a player-plus-cash offer for Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, with Dutch forward Joshua Zirkzee reportedly included in the proposed deal.
According to Italian outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport, United have reignited their interest in Osimhen, who is expected to leave Napoli permanently this summer.
The Nigerian international spent the latter part of last season on loan at Turkish champions Galatasaray.
While Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal made multiple offers—reportedly up to €120 million on a three-year contract—Osimhen has turned down the lucrative move in favor of continuing his career in Europe, with a preference for the Premier League.
Manchester United are keen to land the 26-year-old but are reportedly unwilling to trigger his €75 million (£63 million) release clause outright.
In an effort to reduce the financial outlay, the club is exploring the inclusion of Zirkzee in a swap deal to reach a compromise with Napoli.
Osimhen, who played a pivotal role in Napoli’s 2022/23 Serie A title win, remains one of the most sought-after forwards in the transfer market this summer.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
