Not Dreaming the Theatre:Not Dreaming the Theatre

With Manchester United desperately in need of a striker, Nigeria and Napoli point man-Victor Osimhen, was again the top priority on the list of the Theatre Dreams’ egg heads but for the umpteenth time the Super Eagle turned down a move to Old Trafford

Manchester United’s pursuit of a striker in the January transfer window has ended with a deal for Wout Weghorst after Napoli’s Victor Osimhen rejected a dream to the Theatre of Dreams.

The Nigeria forward, 24, has been on fire ever since joining Napoli in the summer of 2020 for a club-record fee of £63 million. Osimhen seemed quite a risky purchase at the time given that fee but it has more than paid dividends, with the Serie A club becoming one of the most feared teams in Europe.

They are top of the league in Italy and take on Eintracht Frankfurt in the last 16 of the Champions League after topping Group A. Osimhen’s contribution has been vital with 11 goals in 16 matches.

Of course, United have been linked with a move for him before, and as reported by the Manchester Evening News, Osimhen is on the club’s shortlist of targets for the summer and is well admired at Old Trafford.

But Osimhen has rejected a move to the Premier League before. The former Lille player explained in an interview in 2020 why he opted to turn down the chance to play in England.

“Many predicted I will move to the EPL, and I had a lot of interesting offers from some clubs,” Osimhen told CAFOnline in September 2020. “But Napoli was the best choice for me.

“It was so because of the kind of player I want to be in the future, and the kind of great career I want to have. I have no doubt that Napoli is the club I need to achieve that greater height.”

Manchester United’s pursuit of a striker in the January transfer window is ongoing with a deal for Wout Weghorst being pursued – while others such as Napoli’s Victor Osimhen are on the radar.

.A number of names have been linked including Benfica’s Goncalo Ramos, but it is clear that the best option for United to target in the number nine position is Napoli’s Osimhen.

The Nigerian hit-man has been in great form this season, scoring 10 goals in 13 Serie A games and his goals have fired Napoli to the top of the Serie A table by seven points. He has been praised by fans and pundits alike for his clever movement in front of goal and how he looks unstoppable playing off the last line.

Osimhen’s pace allows him to leave his markers in the dust over long distances and he also has a good burst of pace over short distances as well, meaning he can get the few inches needed in the box on numerous occasions to make the most of chances.

United are creating more chances under Ten Hag, and with the monstrous numbers that Erling Haaland is putting up at Manchester City, many fans are pining for the time that they were heavily linked with the Norwegian. Osimhen is the best bet to attempt to even that playing field. He cost Napoli around £70 million in 2020 and the Italian club will likely be looking for some return on their investment if they were to sell him to United.

On Wednesday Osimhen received his Power Horse Emerging Player of the Year award (2022) for his outstanding performance in 2022.

They conducted the ceremony in Napoli, a day after Osimhen scored his 10th Serie A goal and led his side to a seven-point advantage on the league table.

At the event, Globe Soccer wrote on their Twitter account, “Victor was not able to attend the 2022 #GlobeSoccer Awards gala in Dubai on November 17th, so Globe Soccer and #PowerHorse decided to hold an awarding ceremony in Naples, Victor’s current hometown.

“Power Horse CEO, Salvatore Caizzone was joined by Cristiano Giuintoli, Sporting Director of @SSCNapoli, and Enrico Bendoni of Globe Soccer as they handed Osimhen the Emerging Player of the Year trophy.”

Osimhen played 32 matches for Napoli in 2022 and scored 21 goals while he appeared four times for the Super Eagles and scored five goals.

The 24-year-old also responded to the award on Twitter. “Just Received the @Globe_Soccer Award For The Power Horse Emerging Player Of The Year. Thank You For The Recognition, And To Those That Have Been Supporting Me Through The Years, I Appreciate Y’all. GOD Is The Greatest.”

Former Juventus and Napoli midfielder Raffaele Ametrano stated that he’s impressed by Osimhen’s skillset which he feels makes him difficult to mark.

Osimhen is known for his pace, tenacity and aerial strength while also possessing a powerful shot, qualities that have made him one of the most feared strikers in the world.

The Nigeria international has displayed all these traits in his time in Italy, and Sunday’s Serie A meeting with Sampdoria was a prime example, when he spotted Mario Rui on the ball and sprinted into the box, getting in between the two centre-backs, before connecting well with the defender’s pass to slot home his 10th league goal of the season.

Osimhen also showed his strength when he shrugged off two defenders to score from a tight angle in Napoli’s victory over AS Roma in October.

His goal in Napoli’s 2-0 victory over Sampdoria saw him take his tally to 11 in all competitions and 10 in Serie A, making him the league’s leading scorer after 17 matches, and Ametrano feels he will continue making life difficult for defenders.

 “Victor Osimhen, he is a player who tires you to such an extent that you lose the decisive metre,” Ametrano told Italy’s Radio RCC as published by Tuttonapoli. “Even in (Sunday’s) goal, he had a 10/15 metre dash ahead of the defender.”

“It’s not easy to mark Osimhen. He arrives with impressive clarity in the penalty area with the work he manages to do. If he manages to have physical and mental continuity, he will score a lot of goals between now and the end (of the season).”

Osimhen leads the Golden Boot race ahead of Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez, M’Bala Nzola of Spezia and Bologna’s Marko Arnautovic, who are all tied on eight.

With Napoli chasing a first league title since 1990, they will need the 24-year-old fully fit, since he gives them a focal point in attack while utilising the chances created by the likes of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and  Piotr Zielinski.M