Man Utd 'ready' to offer player plus 'substantial balancing payment' for January striker signing
Man Utd are preparing an offer for Napoli striker Victor Osimhen ahead of the January transfer window, according to reports in Italy.
The Red Devils drew 1-1 with Ipswich Town on Sunday with Marcus Rashford opened the scoring inside two minutes before a long-range deflected effort from Omari Hutchinson gave the Tractor Boys a share of the spoils.
The point pushed Man Utd up one place to 12th in the Premier League table and also marked a small forward step in Ruben Amorim’s first match in charge of the Red Devils.
A big theme of discussion this season has been the lack of goals from Man Utd with Rashford, Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee only scoring four league goals between them all campaign.
Zirkzee, who was signed from Serie A side Bologna for £36.5m in the summer transfer window, has already been linked with a move back to Italy with some reports claiming the Man Utd board see him as a ‘lost cause’ already.
Hojlund scored two goals as Man Utd came from behind to beat Bodo/Glimt 3-2 on Thursday evening in Amorim’s second match in charge – but Amorim is still determined to bring in a new striker in January.
And Italian outlet Il Mattino (via Arena Napoli) claim that Osimhen’s performances on loan at Galatasaray from Napoli are ‘pushing several clubs to take a concrete interest’, including Man Utd.
The Premier League club are ‘ready to put on the table’ Zirkzee ‘plus a substantial balancing payment to get Osimhen’ in the January transfer window.
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Former Man Utd winger Lee Sharpe reckons the Red Devils board should consider selling Antony as he continues to struggle at Old Trafford.
Sharpe told TG Casino: “Antony’s been very disappointing for Manchester United since day one. We’ve seen flashes of his ability, but nothing ever consistent to what he was showing at Ajax. When you consider the formation that Ruben Amorim will be playing, I think he will struggle to get a game.
“For me, if United can get a half decent price in January and get him off the wage bill, that would allow Amorim to buy one or two other players that would suit the system well.”
On Amad Diallo, Sharpe added: “Amad Diallo was very good against Ipswich in that right wing back position. There were obviously some question marks about whether he’d be good enough defensively, but he’s probably one of the more industrial players out of the four wingers Manchester United have at their disposal.
“He understands the game well and I don’t think he’s ever let anybody down whenever he’s been in the team. He very rarely gives the ball away and he’s very powerful for his size – we saw his pace when he was going past players. He’s got the energy but he’s also got the intellect, so I think he can be a bit of a surprise package in that position for United.”
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