Bruno Fernandes to help Man Utd sign Victor Osimhen

Cameron Smith

• Updated: 30 May 2025 11:07 CDT
• 5 min read

News

Manchester United will reportedly only be able to afford a move for Victor Osimhen if they offload Bruno Fernandes or Marcus Rashford this summer.

The Nigeria international has been heavily linked with an Old Trafford switch in recent months, although he appears to be on the verge of joining Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal instead.

Current ETV

Victor Osimhen

F (C)

Galatasaray

Victor Osimhen

F (C)

Galatasaray

€66.5M

ETV Range

€59.9M - €73.2M

View full profile

Osimhen is demanding an annual salary of €12 million and this is currently a major stumbling block for Man Utd, who have a limited transfer budget due to their failure to qualify for any kind of European football.

The Red Devils have already agreed a deal to bring Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Matheus Cunha to the club this summer and they will reportedly need to sanction several sales before seriously pursuing a new striker.

Antony, Jadon Sancho, Alejandro Garnacho, Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Hojlund are among those set to leave ahead of the 2025-26 campaign, although Liam Delap, the club’s top target, has already accepted a proposal from Chelsea and will join Enzo Maresca’s side in June.

With a move for Delap now off the table, Man Utd have turned their attention to alternative targets, and Osimhen has emerged as a serious candidate amid his imminent Napoli exit.

The 26-year-old is close to reaching an agreement with Al-Hilal, but Man Utd are eager to secure his signature and reports indicate that Hojlund has been offered to Napoli as the Red Devils look to finalise a deal for Osimhen.

However, Foot Mercato have revealed that Man Utd will not be able to fund a move for Osimhen unless they sell Fernandes and/or Rashford.

Both players have been heavily linked with an Old Trafford departure in recent weeks, with the former seriously considering a move to Saudi Arabia and the latter determined to join Barcelona.

If Fernandes does depart, then it could pave the way for Man Utd to sign Osimhen.

Ruben Amorim on Bruno Fernandes

Although Fernandes has held “productive” talks with Al-Hilal over a move to Saudi Arabia, Ruben Amorim is desperate for the 30-year-old to remain at Old Trafford for the foreseeable future.

“You can see by the performance, the leadership, the passion he [Fernandes] has for the games. So it is really important, especially in these kinds of moments,” Amorim told reporters on Man Utd’s post-season tour of Asia.

“You could see that in the last game [versus Aston Villa]. I felt that the team was without pressure; they performed quite well and everybody wanted the ball.

“The team has different moments and in different moments, Bruno is the one who really wants to take responsibility.

“He should be because he is the captain, so he's really important for us and really important for what we want to build with this team.”

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