From Italy – Man Utd offer audacious swap deal for ‘the best striker in the world’ | OneFootball

Manchester United have reportedly rekindled their interest in Victor Osimhen who has recently rejected a move for Al-Hilal.

The Nigerian followed in the footsteps of Bruno Fernandes by turning down a lucrative offer in favour of staying in Europe. Nevertheless, the striker’s future remains shrouded in mystery.

Osimhen enjoyed a successful loan stint at Galatasaray, and is now set to return to Napoli who have no desire to keep him after their fallout last year, but they insist on collecting the full value of his £62m release clause, even though the player’s contract will expire in 2026.

Man Utd to launch new attempt for Victor Osimhen

The 26-year-old has been an object of desire for some of the biggest clubs in Europe, as he’s considered by many to be the ‘best striker in the world’. However, the high cost of the operation repelled many suitors.

Hence, Man Utd have been looking around, but have found little success on other tracks. For instance, they fell short in the race to sign Liam Delap who declared for Chelsea.

The Reds have very recently opened talks for Viktor Gyokeres, but have yet to make significant progress on that front, while Al-Hilal are said to be in the race as well.

Therefore, La Gazzetta dello Sport (via TuttoNapoli) claims that United have once again resorted to Osimhen, this time coming out with a creative formula to lower the costs of the operation.

The famous Italian newspaper reveals that the Premier League giants are evaluating a potential swap deal that would send Joshua Zirkzee to Napoli.

Osimhen is one of the most highly regarded frontmen in world football. (Photo by Ahmad Mora/Getty Images)

United willing to sacrifice Joshua Zirkzee

Like Man Utd, the newly-crowned Italian champions are seeking a new striker who can offer some cover for Romelu Lukaku.

The source adds that Zirkzee remains a highly-respected profile in Serie A, having spearheaded Bologna’s charge towards a historic Champions League qualification in the 2023/24 campaign.

In recent months, it has been speculated that Ruben Amorim would prefer to keep the Dutch striker while sacrificing the misfiring Rasmus Hojlund, so it remains to be seen if the manager would be willing to change his mind in favour of signing Osimhen.