Napoli striker Victor Osimhen has played down speculation linking him with a move away from the Italian club amid interest from Manchester United.
The 23-year-old has established himself as a key player for the Serie A leaders since joining from Lille in 2020 for a club-record fee of around £70m.
Osimhen, who is under contract until June 2025, has contributed with a total of 38 goals and 12 assists in 76 appearances for Gli Azzurri across all competitions, including 10 goals and three assists in 14 matches so far this season.
The Nigerian’s form in front of goal is believed to have caught the eye of Man United in recent months, with the Red Devils on the lookout to replace Cristiano Ronaldo, who had his contract mutually terminated last month.
A recent report claims that Man United are not prepared to meet Napoli’s €100m (£86m) asking price for Osimhen, but they still hold an interest in the striker heading into the January transfer window.
Nevertheless, the Red Devils have seemingly been dealt a blow in their pursuit of Osimhen, who has claimed that he is only focused on succeeding with Napoli and has rebuffed suggestions that he could soon be on the move.
“[Napoli are] one of the best clubs in Europe and I want to win here,” Osimhen told Il Mattino. “The future is this moment, try to win something relevant in Italy.
“It’s hard to think about something better than Napoli, one of the best clubs in Italy, right now. I am only focused on this season because we haven’t done anything yet. We must win something and then we’ll see what happens.”
Earlier this year, Osimhen’s agent Roberto Calenda also played down suggestions that his client is seeking to move away from the Naples-based outfit.
“Whoever talked about a departure (over the summer) made a mistake. It was Victor’s will to stay at Napoli and play the Champions League that he won entry to last year together with his teammates,” Calenda told Radio Kiss Kiss.
“Victor wanted exactly that, to have a great year with Napoli, between the league and the Champions League.
“He has a long contract with the Azzurri. The market is dynamic, but our will is to continue at Napoli and continue to do well.”
While a move for Osimhen to Man United now appears unlikely, Erik ten Hag has a number of other attacking targets on his radar including PSV Eindhoven’s Cody Gakpo.
The Red Devils are said to be determined to recruit the 23-year-old in January and an offer of around £50m could be enough to persuade PSV to cash in on their star player.
The likes of Benfica’s Goncalo Ramos, AC Milan’s Rafael Leao and Atletico Madrid’s Joao Felix have also been linked with a possible move to Old Trafford.
