Victor Osimhen makes summer transfer decision after Man Utd rule out signing him

Victor Osimhen is set to leave Napoli in the summer transfer window, though Manchester United have halted their pursuit of the Nigerian international over his wage demands

Victor Osimhen is still targeting a move to the Premier League despite Manchester United ending their interest in him. Osimhen is free to leave Napoli in the summer, having spent the season on loan at Galatasaray.

The 26-year-old has maintained his reputation as one of Europe’s top strikers. The Nigerian has scored 28 goals in 32 games for Turkish giants Gala this season and they are well on the way to winning the Super Lig title.

Osimhen previously fired Napoli to the Serie A title back in 2023. But relations between him and the Italian side have broken down and they are keen to sell him in the upcoming transfer window.

While Gala may be keen to keep him, there is not thought to be any option to buy clause in their loan agreement. Napoli are hoping to bring in a fee of around £55.5million for the striker.

Osimhen is expected to demand around £9m per year in wages, far above what United are willing to pay. Instead, the Red Devils are now prioritising a move for Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap.

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Though United have halted their pursuit, ESPN report that Osmihen is still targeting a move to the Premier League. The striker is said to favour either playing in England or joining Napoli’s Serie A rivals Juventus.

Along with United, Chelsea and Arsenal have both been linked with moves for Osimhen. All three have made signing a striker a top priority for the summer transfer window.

Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko are also targets, potentially making Juve a more likely destination. Osimhen himself remains uncertain of his future, insisting he is keen to enjoy the season before discussing it.

“At the moment I don’t know. Until a few months ago, no one would have even thought about Galatasaray, and many even thought I would leave in January. I personally live for the moment,” he said recently.

“I don’t know what will happen in the summer, but I can say that I am in love with these fans. I love this club, the president, the staff—I love everyone associated with Galatasaray. For me, it is truly a privilege to be here, and I am enjoying this experience.”

Galatasaray vice president Abdullah Kavukcu believes that Osimhen will announce his decision at some point this month. He insisted Gala remained keen on bringing him back permanently, but admitted they may be outgunned.

“Osimhen will announce his decision in April. At the moment, five of the world ’s top clubs are interested in him. His arrival here was a dream – he came, and for now, he is playing with us. In January, there was talk of a transfer, but he stayed,” he told Sport Mediaset in March.

“He loves Galatasaray very much. Right now, he is the dream of all our rivals. Although we are focused on winning the title, we have not had direct discussions with Victor yet. There is no point in talking about it now. Galatasaray are a top-level club – if it weren’t, Victor wouldn’t have come. His stay at Galatasaray is not as impossible as it may seem.”

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