Imagine him & ASM: NUFC must swoop for "phenomenal" £54m-rated ace, fans will love him - opinion
Newcastle United have been linked with a summer swoop for Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, who is also subject to interest from the Magpies’ Premier League rivals Manchester United.
According to Italian outlet Il Mattino, the Newcastle hierarchy are keen on bringing the 23-year-old to the northeast in the summer, with the required transfer fee expected to be hefty.
The Serie A outfit signed the Nigerian striker from French side Lille in September 2020 for a reported fee of around €80m, but the Italian club are looking to cash in.
It’s no secret that PIF are planning to spend big money in the summer, should United’s Premier League survival be confirmed, and the addition of Osimhen would be a major statement from the Tyneside outfit.
Eddie Howe’s side have been in exceptional form of late, winning five of their last six Premier League matches. However, none of the ten goals scored during this run have come from £25m January signing Chris Wood.
The New Zealand international is yet to find the back of the net since swapping Turf Moor for St.James’ Park in January and already looks to have been a waste of funds.
Granted, the Geordies desperately needed a striker with Callum Wilson injured, but seem likely to quickly turn their attention away from the 30-year-old and onto the possibility of adding a bigger name to their ranks.
The Nigeria international has seen his campaign halted by a cheekbone fracture suffered in November that ruled the striker out of playing at the African Cup of Nations.
Regardless, the £54m-rated 23-year-old has still managed to score 11 goals in 22 appearances across all competitions so far for Napoli, already an improvement of last season’s tally of ten in 24 matches.
Earlier this campaign, Osimhen was