Man Utd dealt striker transfer blow as PSG draw up new Kylian Mbappe plan
Napoli striker Victor Osimhen is in high demand this summer as Paris Saint-Germain want him to partner Kylian Mbappe in attack but face competition from Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain will rival Manchester United in the race to sign Napoli striker Victor Osimhen this summer as they plan a new attacking partner for Kylian Mbappe.
United’s prime target is Napoli striker Osimhen and he heads the club’s striking shortlist. Red Devils scouts attended Napoli’s Champions League clash against Milan in April and have been planning a move for the Nigerian since last summer.
Osimhen spoke in March that it would be his “dream” to play in the Premier League as links with him moving to Old Trafford intensified. United have subsequently sent scouts to monitor the striker’s play. He spearheaded Napoli’s remarkable Serie A title, netting 31 goals across all competitions.
Yet any deal for the Nigeria international will come at a premium transfer cost, potentially upwards of £130million. Napoli chairman Aurelio De Laurentiis is a notoriously tough negotiator and is under no financial pressure to cash-in on their most prized asset.
PSG may be able to fund a blockbuster this summer. The exits of Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos have helped significantly ease their wage bill. This has been somewhat offset by the arrivals of Manuel Ugarte, Marco Asensio and Milan Skriniar – but further player exits are expected.
One such departure could be superstar forward Neymar, while striker Hugo Ekitike’s loan spell has concluded. The French champions need attacking reinforcements and Le Parisien report that they could structure a move for Osimhen.
Mbappe has primarily played centrally in PSG’s attack but would be more comfortable operating off a central striker, as he does for France with Olivier Giroud. This could be played out at club level with Osimhen – but he has previously indicated a preference for moving to England.
