Man Utd ‘willing’ to match huge price tag for transfer target amid Paul Merson prediction

Manchester United are now gearing up for an away clash with West Ham United as they look to bounce back from defeat.

Erik ten Hag’s men were beaten by Brighton in stoppage time on Thursday night, with Luke Shaw giving away a penalty in virtually the last action of the game. The good news for United is that they remain in control of their own fate as far as Champions League qualification is concerned, and they can quickly move on to attempting to get three points against the Hammers.

In the meantime, we have rounded up all the latest news surrounding Old Trafford.

Merson prediction

Paul Merson has issued his prediction for United’s clash with West Ham, tipping a 1-1 draw.

“Manchester United have been terrible away from home this season,” he told Sportskeeda. “They played alright against Brighton, but the seagulls were better in the second half and scored a deserved stoppage-time winner to secure all three points.

“I think this game will end 1-1, but I still fancy Man United to secure a top-four finish this season. As for West Ham, I don’t see them getting relegated and they also have the UEFA Conference League semi-final to look forward to, so the 2022-23 season could still be memorable for the Hammers.

“Man United’s current front three is Martial, Rashford and Antony, but I think there will be changes this summer. They are 16 points behind Manchester City at the moment and the same team next season will not get anywhere close to the Premier League title.”

Osimhen claim

Man Utd are said to be ‘willing’ to pay a huge fee to land Napoli star Victor Osimhen.

According to Corriere della Sera, the Red Devils have been in conversations with Osimhen’s representatives for ‘more than a year’, It’s reported Napoli will demand as much as £131million for their star man this summer, but United may well be willing to match that demand.

United are on the lookout for a permanent striker, with Wout Weghorst not likely to stick around long-term.