With Victor Osimhen rejecting Saudi Arabian approaches in favour of moving to the Premier League, Manchester United is said to be preparing a cash-plus-player offer to tempt Napoli in releasing the Nigerian, according to a report.
The striker’s loan spell is set to conclude, though Galatasaray has put a substantial contract offer to the player and it’s ready to pay a club-record fee to sign him outright.
However, Napoli has thus far held out for the €75m Osimhen’s release clause is set at.
Initial approaches from United have been made via intermediaries, though the latest out of Italy claims Man Utd isn’t putting all eggs in one basket.
Gazzetta dello Sport states Man Utd is weighing up a move for Osimhen that would include Joshua Zirkzee as a makeweight.
The report read: ‘United is evaluating the possibility of making an offer to Napoli, putting Joshua Zirkzee at the centre of the package.’
Of course, United would have to top up its end of the deal with a sizeable cash injection if including Zirkzee in the deal for Osimhen.
According to a report from La Gazzetta dello Sport, United is reportedly reluctant to meet Osimhen’s €75m (£63m/$85m) release clause, but exploring the possibility of offering out-of-favour forward Joshua Zirkzee as part of a deal to lower the overall cost.
The Red Devils hope this approach will convince Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis to accept a reduced fee for the Nigerian striker.