BY ANDREW EKEJIUBA
La Liga giants Real Madrid are interested in signing red-hot Nigerian striker, Victor Osimhen, who is also being targeted by Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich and Premier League side Manchester United ahead of the January transfer window.
The Point gathered that Los Blancos will line up a move for Osimhen in the event that they fail to land their primary targets Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland or Robert Lewandowski.
Mbappe could be more expensive to sign now that Barcelona have entered the race for his signature, Haaland is on the wish list of almost all the super clubs in Europe, while Lewandowski at 33 has no resale value.
The Super Eagles striker has played very well this season for Napoli, who are the only club in Europe’s top five leagues to win their first eight games this season.
Osimhen has gotten his acts back after an indifferent start to his career at the club last term owing to injuries and a Covid-related absence.
The 22-year-old was on target once again in Napoli’s last match against Legia Warsaw, taking his tally to nine goals in ten outings across all competitions in 2021-2022.
Also, Bayern Munich have started planning for life without Robert Lewandowski who comes off contract with the German champions at the end of next season, and have targeted the Nigerian as his replacement.
Signed from Lille for a fee of 70 million euros, Osimhen is now valued in the region of at least 100 million euros by Napoli, an asking price that can be met by only the likes of PSG, Manchester United, Chelsea, Newcastle United, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.
The 2015 U17 World Cup winner knows the German Bundesliga having started his professional career at Wolfsburg, where he spent nineteen months before joining Sporting Charleroi initially on loan before the move was made permanent.
Osimhen is contracted to Napoli until June 2025 and earns approximately four million euros every year at the Serie A side.
The Super Eagles star performer has started the 2021-2022 campaign in fine goal scoring form for club and country, netting eleven goals in fourteen appearances combined.
Osimhen has shown his qualities to Bayern this year, bagging a brace within two minutes as Napoli defeated the Bundesliga giants 3-0 in a pre-season friendly.
Meanwhile, Paris Saint Germain could make a surprise move for Osimhen when the transfer window opens in January. The Ligue 1 giants are considering making a move for the 22-year-old.
According to reports, PSG could offer Mauro Icardi in cash plus swap deal to Napoli for the services of Osimhen.
PSG are looking to offload the Argentine, who is unsettled due to his problems with his wife and agent Wanda-Nara. And the Ligue 1 side believe Osimhen is the perfect replacement for the former Inter Milan star.
