Latest news with #VictorOsimhen
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mark Goldbridge: Who Should Lead the Line for Man United
Manchester United Transfers: Striker Search Becomes Tug of War Manchester United's transfer window drama continues, with manager targets, agents, and rival clubs creating a chaotic marketplace. On the latest episode of The United Stand, Mark Goldbridge laid out the current striker landscape, comparing stats and questioning both value and fit for several high-profile names. Osimhen Deal 'Not Viable' as Agent Games Take Over Goldbridge opened with strong words on Victor Osimhen, stating, 'Osimhen will not come to Manchester United.' He pointed out the growing influence of Al Hilal, who 'still believe that a deal can be done' after missing out during the Club World Cup. Advertisement More importantly, Osimhen's financial demands appear unrealistic. Goldbridge suggested, 'His agent is probably going around Europe saying we could have earned this money in Saudi, so we want ridiculous money here.' Adding to the doubt, he noted that 'Man United and AC Milan are not seen as front runners,' since Osimhen's priority is Champions League football. In Goldbridge's view, the striker market cannot be allowed to drag on. 'I think we've got to be a little bit more robust… I don't know that it's a player we can afford to waste time on.' Hugo Ekitike: 'Plan C' at a Steep Price Manchester United have made 'concrete' contact over Hugo Ekitike, but concerns are mounting over both price and profile. 'It's a hundred million euros,' Goldbridge said bluntly. 'That's not right… this is the Bundesliga. Since when were players from Frankfurt going for a hundred million euros?' Advertisement Despite Ekitike's creativity, Goldbridge stressed the lack of goals. 'He's not a goal scorer… literally isn't a goal scorer.' With just a 15% goal conversion rate and 0.51 goals per 90, Goldbridge raised doubts over paying a premium. 'If you drop him into a Manchester United shirt… pressure, foreign, media, rivals – it's a lot.' Reflex, a viewer, did offer a more optimistic take: 'I watched Ekitike, I think he could be a top striker.' But even Goldbridge admitted, 'As a Plan C option, I'm not going to sit here and say that's bad.' Gyokeres Remains a Waiting Game With Arsenal prioritising Sesko, United's interest in Viktor Gyökeres is far from over. Goldbridge explained the situation as 'basically where we were three weeks ago,' after confusion caused by reports of Arsenal bids that never materialised. 'United remain cautious and are monitoring the situation,' he read from Fabrizio Romano's latest update. Advertisement Mark didn't shy away from the realities of the race. 'If Arsenal want Gyökeres, they probably win the race. But if they don't, then we've got a great chance again.' Fan Frustration Peaks Over Striker Targets Beyond stats, fans and contributors voiced concerns. Mike JW posted, 'Ekitike is vastly overpriced, he's also not good enough.' JJ added, 'We need someone who's ready – Ekitike isn't.' Meanwhile, Ke summed it up: 'Would we not be better keeping the hundred million euros and just playing Zirkzee up front?' Goldbridge compared the two directly: 'I don't actually see a world of difference… in outputs.' With Zirkzee matching Ekitike's 15% goal conversion rate and bettering him on some metrics, Goldbridge pressed the case: 'Why would you not just play Zirkzee up front instead of spending 100 million pounds on Ekitike?' Concluding Thoughts Manchester United's striker hunt is shaping up to be the defining saga of the summer. Whether they pivot to Gyökeres, revisit Osimhen, or risk it all on Ekitike, the next move must be decisive. Goldbridge put it best: 'We need a goal scorer… it's not about how shiny the toy is, it's what the toy does.'
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Galatasaray Keeping It Cagey & ‘Strategic' In Pursuit Of €30M Rated Inter Milan Star
Galatasaray Keeping It Cagey & 'Strategic' In Pursuit Of €30M Rated Inter Milan Star Galatasray are keeping things cagey and 'strategic' in their pursuit of Inter Milan midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu. This is highlighted in today's print edition of Turin-based newspaper Tuttosport, via FCInterNews. Advertisement By now, it is certainly no secret that Galatasaray are interested in Inter Milan midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu. The transfer rumours regarding the Turkish champions' interest in the 31-year-old have swirled for over a week. However, so far, Galatasaray have not really made a concrete approach to Inter. And at the same time, however, behind the scenes there is no doubt about the Istanbul giants' intentions. Galatasaray Keeping It 'Strategic' In Hakan Calhanoglu Pursuit BARCELONA, SPAIN – APRIL 30: Lamine Yamal of FC Barcelona is by Hakan Calhanoglu of FC Internazionale during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Semi Final First Leg match between FC Barcelona and FC Internazionale Milano at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on April 30, 2025 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by) As Tuttosport note, though, it is certainly not as though Galatasaray's efforts to sign Calhanoglu haven't filtered out. At the same time, however, the Istanbul giants are also working hard to lock down Victor Osimhen. Signing the Napoli and Nigeria striker permanently appears to be their priority. Advertisement But that doesn't mean that Galatasaray aren't getting ready to move for Calhanoglu. Tuttosport report that Inter could start to listen to offers of €25-30 million. Therefore, Galatasaray are playing the waiting game. Then, there are the persistent rumours and reports of talks between Galatasray and Calhanoglu himself. However, in Galatasaray President Durusn Ozebek's words, there is something as coy as it is insistent. Galatasaray are yet to make their big move. But they are waiting until the conditions are there to do so.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ornstein delivers Osimhen update on Premier League interest
Victor Osimhen is unlikely to move to the Premier League with no firm movement from English clubs as things stand. Osimhen is assessing his options after returning to Napoli from a loan spell at Galatasaray. The Nigerian scored 37 goals in 41 games to fire Galatasaray to a league and cup double and the Turkish champions are pushing to sign the player permanently. Advertisement Osimhen's €75m release clause is an obstacle to that deal, while the forward has rejected a move to Saudi side Al-Hilal. Several English teams have been linked, including Manchester United and Chelsea, but there are no concrete proposals from England at present. The Athletic journalist David Ornstein has offered an update on Osimhen's situation ahead of an expected summer transfer. 'What is his priority? We don't know for certain. Premier League clubs are always heavily linked with him,' he told The Athletic Podcast. 'Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and no doubt they admire him. How wouldn't they admire him as a striker, a top player? But that doesn't necessarily translate into doing the deal. Advertisement 'The stumbling block for Premier League clubs, so far, appears to be one, the salary expectations, and two, maybe he's not deemed to be the right character for them. The profile of what they're looking for in terms of age, where he fits into the team and dressing room. 'Clearly, Galatasaray are making moves to try and get him on a permanent basis. Clearly, there doesn't appear to be a future at Napoli where a sale is on the cards. This is another one where don't have a completely concrete picture at the moment and could develop as the summer goes on. Premier League clubs could change Osimhen stance 'Do some of the Premier League clubs on the continent start to change their stance and be a bit more liberal with their numbers? If they get to a point where they're not landing their priority targets, where they're starting to panic. If the season starts and they're struggling for results or to score goals and he comes back on the agenda as an alternative. Advertisement 'I'm really fascinated to see what does unfold with Osimhen. Personally, I'd love to see him in the Premier League but there's no movement towards that, firmly, as things stand.' Read – Every Premier League team's start ranked by difficulty See more – PFA Young Player of the Year shortlist revealed Follow The Football Faithful on Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | TikTok
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Man Utd's dream striker target opens talks as summer saga takes new twist
Manchester United have been heavily linked with a move for Victor Osimhen but Juventus have now come to the negotiation table as they look to land the Napoli striker Juventus have entered the race to sign Victor Osimhen, who has attracted huge interest this summer with Manchester United also keen on the Nigerian. His time at Napoli looks to be up and the Old Lady want to keep him in Italy. They've resumed talks with their arch rivals, who have just claimed the Serie A title but have backed Romelu Lukaku as their main man in attack. Osimhen spent last season out on loan with Galatasaray, where he continued to be prolific. There are a number of frontmen tipped to be on the move this summer and Gazzetta claim that Osimhen remains Juventus ' primary target in attack so club representatives resumed talks with the striker's agents in recent days. Osimhen has a €75million (£64m) release clause but that is only valid for clubs outside Serie A, which means the Bianconeri must negotiate a transfer fee with Napoli, which could prove challenging. Viktor Gyokeres, another man who is also linked with a move to Manchester, is expected to leave Sporting Lisbon but Juventus have Osimhen ahead of the Swedish striker on their own shortlist. The Nigerian has already turned down a mammoth offer from Al-Hilal, which has underlined his desire to remain in Europe. Rio Ferdinand has claimed that Osimhen "must be waiting" for the Premier League giants to come calling. He said on Rio Ferdinand Presents: "No.9, they already know who I want. The comments know, the people know who I want, who I would go and get: Osimhen! It looks like he's turned down Al Hilal… he must be waiting for Man United. I don't know if Man United are going to come. That's the problem." Osimhen only has a year left on his deal in Naples which will put his club under pressure to sell as the summer goes on. He has previously been linked with a move to Chelsea, but that never materialised last summer. United have already landed Matheus Cunha this summer but remain on the hunt for a No.9 having missed out on Liam Delap. Their lack of European football could hamper them in some negotiations but they retain an interest in the likes of Bryan Mbeumo and Gyokeres.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Talks underway for Liverpool to sign WORLD-CLASS striker
Liverpool in talks for Victor Osimhen Liverpool are reported discussing a move with Napoli for Victor Osimhen, per Team Talk. The Nigerian is fully expected to leave the club this summer after spending last season on loan with Galatasaray. Advertisement Of course, everyone expected Osimhen to leave last summer. That didn't happen for various reasons but an incredible campaign in Turkey makes a move feel near-certain this time around. And Liverpool are long-time admirers of Osimhen. Anfield Watch exclusively revealed that he was on the agenda heading into this summer back in January.
