Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has urged the Red Devils to sign Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen to help struggling forward Rasmus Hojlund, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ferdinand pinpointed the 2023 CAF African Footballer of The Year as the perfect candidate to not only score goals for United but also guide Hojlund, who has struggled to make an impact since his £70m move.

“I’d be going to get Osimhen now if we can do it from a financial standpoint. Get him on loan now! Guarantees you someone who can get on the end of things, scores goals, experienced, done it at the top level,” Ferdinand said.

The former England defender’s comments came after another disappointing performance from Hojlund in United’s narrow 1-0 victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage, where the Danish striker was substituted after 55 minutes.

Osimhen, who is currently on loan at Galatasaray from Napoli, has been in scintillating form, scoring 16 goals and providing five assists in 12 appearances for the Turkish giants.

The Nigeria international’s stock has risen considerably following a stellar 2022/23 season with Napoli, where he scored 26 goals to win the Serie A Golden Boot and help the Partenopei claim their first league title in 33 years.

Ferdinand believes United’s current striker situation is particularly concerning, with neither Hojlund nor his backup Joshua Zirkzee showing the required quality to lead the line.

“I just feel like because Hojlund was £70m-odd we’re expecting the finished article. Unfortunately (he’s not). He’s a young striker but normally a striker of that age comes in and learns off someone. He’s got nobody to learn off,” the six-time Premier League winner added.

United’s interest in Osimhen comes as new manager Ruben Amorim looks to bolster his attacking options, with the Red Devils managing just 17 goals in 12 league matches this season.

The Old Trafford outfit had previously shown interest in the 24-year-old striker before his €70m move to Napoli in 2020/21, where he has since scored 57 goals in 95 appearances.

Earlier reports suggested United and Napoli were considering a potential swap deal involving Marcus Rashford, but there has been little progress on that front.

Meanwhile, Dusan Vlahovic is expected to leave Juventus at the end of the season, and according to Gazzetta, Joshua Zikrzee and Victor Osimhen are among the possible replacements of the Serbia international at the Allianz Stadium.

Therefore, the Serie A giants are already monitoring the market for possible Vlahovic replacements. According to Gazzetta, Zirkzee (Man United) and Osimhen (Galatasaray on loan from Napoli) are the Bianconeri’s primary targets.

United’s interest in Osimhen comes as new manager Ruben Amorim looks to bolster his attacking options, with the Red Devils managing just 17 goals in 12 league matches this season.

The Old Trafford outfit had previously shown interest in the 24-year-old striker before his €70m move to Napoli in 2020/21, where he has since scored 57 goals in 95 appearances.

Earlier reports suggested United and Napoli were considering a potential swap deal involving Marcus Rashford, but there has been little progress on that front.

Source Punch Ng

Posted January 29, 2025