Femi Solaja with agency report
Manchester United have pushed further their determination to sign Super Eagles’ in-form striker, Victor Osimhen, from Napoli in summer transfer.
Although the forward has been on the radar of the club as well as other notable teams across Europe, the Old Trafford side appear to be more committed and have designed a fresh strategy to land the gangling striker.
Sources at United hinted yesterday that the club’s chiefs are planning a massive clear out of players not living to expected standard. Funds from sales of some of the players will help Manchester United to raise the big asking price tag of over £100million placed on Osimhen by Napoli.
According to Manchester Evening News, United are planning to offload
Anthony Martial in the summer amid plans to sign a new long-term striker.
The tabloid understands Martial is among the players United have listed to sell at the end of the season.
Other players listed for the exit door include; Captain Harry Maguire and full-back Alex Telles .
United decided to classify Martial as sellable before his latest injury setback last week. Martial returned from a two-and-a-half-week absence to score as a substitute in the League Cup semi-final second leg win over Nottingham Forest last week Wednesday. He however withdrew from the squad for the Premier League defeat of Crystal Palace three days later.
Martial, 27, has missed 20 of United’s 34 games this season and he has been absent for a total of 16 weeks through five separate injury lay-offs.
The Frenchman is under contract until 2024 and United have the option of an additional year, so the upcoming summer transfer window is a prime time to try and cash in on Martial.
United manager Erik ten Hag has stressed a new goal scorer is a priority in the close season and United are interested in Tottenham Hotspur talisman Harry Kane and Victor Osimhen of Napoli.
However, Spurs have made it clear that the club’s top scorer is not open to transfer by any of the rivals in the Premiership thus narrowing their choice to the gangling Nigerian forward,
Ten Hag is also an admirer of Benfica’s Goncalo Ramos and Mohammed Kudus, who worked with Ten Hag at Ajax.
Martial tallied a meagre eight goals for United across the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons. He was loaned to Sevilla in January 2022 but Martial scored one goal in La Liga,
Martial joined United for a fee rising to £58million on deadline day in September 2015 but he has only broken the 20-goal barrier once in a season. Martial has scored six goals this term but failed to complete 90 minutes.
