Victor Osimhen has raised Premier League eyebrows after the red-hot Napoli striker admitted he dreams of testing himself in England’s top flight.
The 24-year-old has been in electric form for his club this season, scoring 19 times in 21 games in Serie A and acting as the catalyst for Napoli’s sensational campaign, which sees them top the division by 15 points.
Those displays have won him admirers around Europe, with Manchester United among his potential suitors when the summer transfer window opens. Erik ten Hag’s side have already laid groundwork for his signing.
Speaking to the press on the back of a surprise 1-0 defeat to Lazio on Friday, Osimhen will have only raised interest from any sides in the English top flight by admitting his desire to play in the Premier League.
“I think playing in one of the top five leagues in the world is an amazing feeling for me,” he said after being named ‘Best Foreign Athlete of the Year’ by the Italian Foreign Press Association.
“A lot of people worldwide consider the Premier League as the best and the strongest league but now I’m in one of the best leagues in the world which is the Italian Serie A.
“I’m working so hard to make sure that I achieve my dream of playing in the Premier League some day but like I said, it’s a process and I just want to keep on this momentum and continue to do well.”
Manchester United are looking for a striker to join the club in the summer following the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo in December, with loanee Wout Weghorst set to return to Burnley at the end of the season.
Sky Sports News senior reporter Melissa Reddy says there is plenty of interest in Tottenham striker Harry Kane, who will enter the final 12 months of his Spurs contract in July, but also reports that Osimhen’s age makes him a better fit for the profile of player United want to sign.
She said: “There’s obvious reasons for the Harry Kane attraction from Manchester United – not least rekindling the offensive chemistry between him and Christian Eriksen – but my understanding is that ideally, United would like a younger, dynamic profile there as first prize like Osimhen.”
Premier League interest in Osimhen pre-dates his move to Napoli. Sky Sports reported Liverpool, Tottenham and Chelsea were tracking the then-Lille forward’s progress as far back as 2019.
He only spent one year in Ligue 1 but an 18-goal season was enough to convince Napoli to part with up to €80m (£71m) to bring him to Serie A.
Analysis: Osimhen would be perfect fit in Premier League
Sky Italia’s Filippo Benincampi told Sky Sports News:
“He’s outstanding, an outstanding player. I haven’t seen a player like him in Serie A since the good old days. He has everything; he’s got pace, he’s strong, he’s hungry.
“He scores with headers, left foot, right foot, you saw it against Frankfurt where he scored twice but one was ruled out.
“He wears a mask because he got a very bad injury, and you think if you get an injury like that you’ll be afraid of duels – but not him.
“He’s the perfect Premier League fit. He’s got all the qualities required, he’s very strong, the tempo is high.
“He’s demolishing the Italian league because the tempo is a bit slower, but in the Premier League with all that pace, the speed, the qualities and mentality – I think he’ll be perfect.”