Door opens for Man Utd to sign their next Robin van Persie after Fabrizio Romano drops £63m deal update

For decades Manchester United were spoilt with a list of strikers that was the envy of the footballing world as players like Mark Hughes and Eric Cantona led a revolution that would see a template for success born.

The first team to win the treble was blessed with four strikers who would have started at every other team in the Premier League with the second choice pairing of Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer having a realistic claim to being the second best pairing outside of Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke.

The signing of Matheus Cunha was a start and the “exceptional” Bryan Mbeumo would also be a welcome addition, if Ruben Amorim can beat off strong opposition for the Brentford forward.

“If I hadn’t seen such riches, I could live with being poor”, a wise man from Manchester-based band James once sang, even if Tim Booth’s own allegiances are questionable, the sentiment is accurate nonetheless.

It is a standard that United need to get to again if they want to stop 2012/13 becoming and even more distant memory by repeating the sort of recruitment that is proven to be a success.

Door opens for Man Utd to sign Victor Osimhen

Throughout the spine United need to sign guaranteed starters who Amorim can trust to help Bruno Fernandes carry the load when the going gets tough, especially in the No.9 position.

The door has been opened for Utd to solve a major problem by signing a proven goalscorer and a striker who wins his teams league titles - Victor Osimhen.

According to transfer supremo Fabrizio Romano, the 26-year old has rejected the chance to inflate his bank balance in Saudi Arabia with United learning how much it would take to land one of the continent’s most consistent hitmen. The Red Devils have already held talks with Osimhen and a deal might not be out of the question now.

“Victor Osimhen has rejected Al Hilal proposal,” confirmed Romano via his X feed. “Despite agreement club to club with Napoli for €75m (£63m) fee, Osimhen says no to the Saudi Pro League club. Galatasaray will insist to sign him with race now open again.”

When asked on his GiveMeSport newsletter a if United are in for the prolific striker the Italian journalist replied: “I'm not aware of contacts with Premier League clubs so far. Galatasaray are trying to keep him. Let's see if Premier League clubs join the race!”

The fee that Napoli are demanding rules Galatasaray out but it is a similar fee to that paid for Rasmus Hojlund who has been linked with Inter Milan and Samu Aghehowa who United have are also reported to be interested in.

If the Red Devils want to start challenging at the sharp end of the table again, now isn’t the time for gambles and Osimhen could be Amorim’s Robin van Persie. The guaranteed goals that allows a system of play to be developed and for other players to settle in.

Victor Osimhen on mentality that has seen him reach the top

Osimhen’s path to the top hasn’t been plain sailing after moving to Wolfsburg as a young teenager, and he has shown that he isn’t afraid to role his sleeves up when the going gets tough, the sort of mentality that United are crying out for:

“There was a time I spoke to my former agent and told him that I was ready to go to a third or fourth division club in Germany, as all I wanted to do was to play … My whole life has been a struggle but I always come out on top,” he told The Guardian.

“Whatever bad things happened there, I take full responsibility for it. It was my decision to go to Wolfsburg, to try to improve, because I knew that I was still a work in progress after the World Cup in Chile. I had Mario Gómez there, Divock Origi too. I had to learn from these people … I was rejected by two clubs in Belgium before I had the opportunity to sign for Charleroi on loan.

“I cannot lie: it was draining at first. I was the highest goalscorer at the Under-17 World Cup and picked as the second-best player of the tournament [but then seeing] my career going down and hearing people say all sort of [negative] things about me … I know the kind of player I am and the quality that I possess. I knew that just one season will change my life for ever.

“It was my move to Belgium, to Charleroi [in 2018], that was the turning point in my life. I owe my success to the president of the club, and the people of Charleroi that put their love and trust in a 19-year-old boy trying to establish himself.”