Napoli’s Victor Osimhen has caught the attention of former Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov, who believes he is the ideal candidate to become the club’s next primary striker.
United are attempting to seal a place in the Premier League’s top four ahead of the likes of Liverpool and Brighton and Hove Albion, and need to win their final three games to ensure they finish ahead of both and qualify for next season’s Champions League.
Erik ten Hag’s United have struggled to find the net consistently throughout the season. They have grappled with the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo since his departure in November, as well as Anthony Martial’s fitness and injury woes, which have limited his playing time. Although Wout Weghorst was brought in on loan in January, his contributions have been modest, with just two goals to his name since joining the team.
It is worth noting that Weghorst’s goals have not been in the league, exacerbating United’s scoring challenges. In fact, the team has managed to net a mere 51 goals in 35 games, a considerably lower tally compared to their counterparts.
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Berbatov, speaking in an interview, emphasized the significance of United making the right choice for their next acquisition in the central striker position. He firmly places Nigerian talent Osimhen at the top of his list, favoring him over Tottenham’s Harry Kane.
“Someone who can bring goals [is what United need]. Obviously, the job of the striker nowadays has changed a little bit, but the main thing remains – strikers need to score goals,” Berbatov said.
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“[Wout] Weghorst, he’s doing fantastic in the defensive type of work, running his socks off, chasing people, making tackles inside the box, defending from the front. But he doesn’t score goals and people are judging him on that.
“When United buy a striker, he needs to be someone that you say ‘this is the guy who is going to give you 20-plus goals’.
“I think that striker can be Victor Osimhen from Napoli. I think he’s fantastic – from the way he’s scoring, to how he’s scoring and the speed he has. If United are going for striking options, the first name on my list will be Osimhen.”
According to reports, Osimhen and Kane feature on a shortlist of United’s primary options for the summer, though the club are still weighing up whether to sign a cheaper, alternative option with potential to develop into the finished product under Ten Hag’s coaching.
Decisions have not yet been made as United wait to confirm their position in the top four, while the club’s ownership issues are yet to be resolved.
However, Berbatov, who himself moved from Tottenham to Old Trafford in 2008 after United spent weeks negotiating with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy, has doubts about how easy a deal signing Kane will be for United, while he has also questioned whether Kane will want to leave his boyhood club anyway.
“In the summer, we’re probably going to be witnessing again that type of saga – Kane going somewhere? A TV soap opera,” he added.
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