INEOS pushing to land monster Hojlund upgrade who wants to sign for Man Utd

Manchester United restored something that was lost on Sunday, impressing as they drew against high-flying Liverpool at Anfield and stunted their lead at the top of the Premier League.

Bruno Fernandes was the influential general; Manuel Ugarte a crunching colossus; goalscorers Amad Diallo and Lisandro Martinez were impressive and incisive.

It was a remarkable fixture, the perfect advert for Premier League football, regarded by many as the highest-quality division on the globe. Ruben Amorim‘s side were expected to be put through the wringer, but they actually looked the more gutsy of the two sides, certainly well worth their point.

There’s still a need for more in attack though. Marcus Rashford has been missed of late and, if he is to leave this year, will need an apt replacement brought in. Moreover, Rasmus Hojlund‘s struggles in front of goal continue and INEOS are beginning to survey the market for a new number nine.

Man Utd eyeing marquee Jan signing

As per Nigerian outlet Business Day, Manchester United are pushing to complete a stunning January transfer for Victor Osimhen, who is currently on loan with Galatasaray in Turkey after a deadline-day fiasco ended prospective avenues to Chelsea or the Saudi Pro League.

Their sources suggest that ‘Osimhen is determined to join Manchester United’ and preliminary moves are already underway to complete a move.

While United would need to break the bank to sign the Nigeria striker, forking out €75m (£62m) to convince parent club Napoli, there’s no question that this would be the deal to reannounce Old Trafford as a European mega-power.

Amorim planted the seed of something special on Merseyside,

What Victor Osimhen would bring to Man Utd

Manchester United have long been detached from the thundering success of so many years, no question. Too many times has the wheel been spun and ended up at the starting axis, a cyclical cycle of promise and capitulation.

But there is hope. Under Amorim’s wing, the beginnings of an exciting tactical identity were showcased, and that’s without talking about the zest and zeal befitting the badge. Anfield was reduced to a lesser version, unable to contain United pressure that made for a gripping contest.

Transfer blunders have so often been the sticking point, but Osimhen – described as a “monster” striker by football analyst Ben Mattinson – is of the highest quality and could finally be the talisman that the club need to propel them back into the ascendency after so long away.

Osimhen’s divorce from Napoli was an unsightly thing, but that doesn’t take the illustrious successes away, with the 26-year-old scoring 31 goals across all competitions in 2022/23 as Luciano Spalletti masterminded a title-winning Scudetto triumph.

While he wouldn’t have foreseen his current campaign being played out in the Turkish Super Lig, the elite marksman has produced some emphatic results, notching 18 goal contributions across 16 matches, bagging twice in a Europa League victory over Tottenham Hotspur.

Most recent outfits being Gala, Napoli and Lille, it’s clear that Osimhen has everything it takes to be a superstar for Man United, with his predatory instinct coupled with powerful physicality and a dynamic approach, excellent with his link-up play and creative range.

United do have an expensive centre-forward in Rasmus Hojlund, but the Dane is struggling to prove that he has what it takes right now and Amorim needs to target the best, lest the Red Devils endure more turbulence over the coming years.

How Osimhen compares to Rasmus Hojlund

Man United haven’t exactly received bang for their buck with Hojlund. He may only be 21 years old, but the number nine has posted 12 goals across 45 Premier League appearances since signing from Atalanta for a £72m fee in July 2023.

He’s got a big future, this lad, having been described as a striker with a “monster” profile by Ruben Selles, who coached him at Copenhagen, but he’s not there yet.

United struggle for cohesion, especially in regard to their playmaking and funnelling through to the focal area. They have created 42 big chances from 20 Premier League outings this term (ranking them ninth), which corresponds to 2.1 per game.

Last season, United’s creative success was actually worse, for they finished joint-12th with just 60 big chances created across the campaign, equating to 1.57 per match.

As per Sofascore, the Denmark talent is averaging a pretty woeful 0.7 shots per top-flight fixture this term, and though he is indeed struggling for service, he’s failing to take the chances that come his way, missing a glorious chance at Anfield and consequently being branded with a 5/10 match rating by MEN’s Samuel Luckhurst.

The problem is that Joshua Zirkzee is failing to produce meaningful results either, limiting United’s frontal scope considerably. All the more reason to launch a potentially future-defining move for Osimhen, who has averaged 3.3 shots per game over his career, as per WhoScored, and only 21.8 touches per Super Lig game this year, racking up 13 goal contributions.

Like all of the best strikers, he is clinical and deadly. He knows that he will not take a centre-back’s haul of touches. Erling Haaland has been out of sorts this season but he’s still fired 16 Premier League goals home, taking 22.5 touches per fixture.

Hojlund just isn’t doing enough, and perhaps shoulders too heavy a burden at this early stage of a high-potential career.

With recent reports suggesting that Zirkzee is already unhappy at the Theatre of Dreams and would like to return to Italian football, Hojlund might receive a stay of execution. After all, he’s only 21 and may yet become a top-class centre-forward.

However, Man United need instant results if they are to make genuine headway over the coming campaigns, and a striker of Osimhen’s ilk could be perfect.