Chelsea leave the race for Victor Osimhen leaving Manchester United in pole position | OneFootball

Manchester United had the better of the chances against noisy neighbours Manchester City on Sunday but the lack of cutting-edge up top meant the Manchester derby ended in a stalemate.

Rasmus Hojlund once again put in another performance to forget, a reminder that Ruben Amorim needs to move him on and bring in a ruthless finisher in the summer.

Links with Victor Osimhen are growing stronger everyday with The Peoples Person relaying reports that the Red Devils have submitted their first proposal to the player.

Napoli are keen to get rid and are even open to offering a discount to the striker’s Premier League suitors as they look to thwart Juventus from signing the 26-year-old.

Osimhen race

Apart from the 20-time English league champions, Chelsea have been long-term admirers of the Nigeria international and even came close to signing him last summer only for the move to collapse last minute.

Enzo Maresca is also on the lookout for an out-and-out No 9 and the Blues were expected to challenge for the Galatasaray loanee but CaughtOffside have claimed that the Stamford Bridge outfit have other targets on their agenda.

“According to Caught Offside sources, Chelsea have decided to step back from the race to sign Victor Osimhen. For now, the Nigerian striker is not considered one of the main targets for their summer transfer plans.

“While the Blues were previously entirely in the race for Osimhen, their interest has recently cooled. The Blues are now focused on exploring other options to strengthen their attack: names like Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko are now higher on Chelsea’s list.

Chelsea leave Osimhen race

“Meanwhile, Man United and Juventus remain in the race for Osimhen. The Red Devils are planning a major rebuild in attack and Osimhen is seen as a top-level striker who could lead the line at Man United next season.”

The former Lille ace has 28 goals and five assists in 32 games out on loan and he is expected to relay his decision on his future this month with Gala also keen on keeping hold of him.

United’s position has been strengthened by the fact that Osimhen has no qualms of moving to Old Trafford even if the club fail to qualify for the Champions League next season.

But given his excessive wage demands and Napoli’s asking price, it will be interesting to see if INEOS can afford such an extensive outlay. Which is why Saudi Pro League clubs are keeping an eye on proceedings.

United also have cost-effective options like Liam Delap and Lorenzo Lucca on their radar should a move for the Nigerian hitman not pan out.

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