Manchester United To Revive Interest In $113M Striker During January Window: Details Here

Manchester United are reportedly planning to revive their interest in Napoli striker Victor Osimhen.

The Red Devils are long-time admirers of Osimhen, who still has a contract with Napoli until 2025. They are preparing to land the Nigerian forward in the January transfer window, considering Cristiano Ronaldo's future is still uncertain at Old Trafford, according to Sports Mole.

Manchester United had reportedly tried to secure Osimhen before the end of the 2022 summer window in a swap deal that would have seen Ronaldo move to Naples. The swap deal, proposed by Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes, would have helped the Portuguese player feature in the Champions League this season. However, the deal never progressed.

Just before the end of the summer window, Manchester United approached Napoli with a separate offer for Osimhen, which did not involve Ronaldo. However, the young forward rejected a move because the Old Trafford side had missed out on the Champions League, soccer outlet Teamtalk reported.

Osimhen's agent had made it very clear that his client was very particular about competing in top European competitions.

"Victor Osimhen is a Napoli player and he wants to play Champions League with Napoli. He's proud of being in the UCL," agent Roberto Calenda had said in an interview.

The 23-year-old moved from Lille to Napoli in 2020 at $77 million, including add-ons, which made him the most expensive African player in history. In his maiden season, Osimhen netted 10 goals and provided three assists in 30 appearances for Napoli. He bettered that performance in the 2021-22 campaign, finishing with 18 goals and six assists in 32 competitive matches for the Serie A club.

Napoli are expected to value Osimhen at around $113 million in the winter window, which could be an issue for Manchester United as the Red Devils board is reportedly planning to hand Erik ten Hag a total budget of $79 million for the January market.

Manchester United will return to action on Oct. 2 after the international break. They will take on derby rivals Manchester City in the Premier League at Etihad Stadium. With 12 points in six games, Ten Hag and co. are placed fifth in the league table, while City are in second place with 17 points in seven matches.