Renowned football journalist, David Ornstein has shed light on the reasons English Premier League (EPL) clubs are yet to make a definitive move for Nigerian striker, Victor Osimhen, despite growing speculation and widespread admiration for his talent.
Ornstein explained on a podcast on Thursday that, while clubs such as Galatasaray and Al-Hilal are making strong efforts to secure Osimhen’s services, EPL sides remain hesitant.
He said: ‘Galatasaray do want to make it permanent, clearly, if they can both make the finances work and convince him to join them. Al-Hilal, in the Saudi Pro League, have been pursuing the situation very aggressively. However, it seems that repeatedly, he has rebuffed their advances or haven’t quite come to an agreement’.
Al-Hilal were initially hoping to land Osimhen in time for the ongoing FIFA Club World Cup. But Ornstein said, ‘It doesn’t seem to have dissuaded Al-Hilal… although they could get deals done before the knockout stages if they get there’.
EPL clubs — including Manchester United, Arsenal, and Chelsea — have long been linked with the Napoli striker, but several key issues have stalled any move.
Ornstein said: ‘The stumbling block for the Premier League club so far seems to be, one, the salary expectations, and two, maybe he’s not deemed to be the right character for them… in terms of age, in terms of where he fits into the team, the dressing room’.
He further said that, while the admiration for Osimhen is widespread, ‘that doesn’t translate into necessarily doing the deal’.
Ornstein acknowledged that Osimhen’s future at Napoli appears uncertai, adding:. ‘Clearly there doesn’t seem to be a future at Napoli where a sale is on the cards’.
Despite these hurdles, the door is not completely closed. Ornstein pointed out that the situation remains fluid and could shift as the transfer window progresses.
He said: ‘Do some of the Premier League clubs… start to change their stance, start to be a bit more liberal with their numbers if they get to a point where they’re not landing their priority targets… and he comes back on the agenda’?
While some Manchester United fans have pointed to Osimhen as a potential target, Ornstein made that his stance clear. ‘I was quite clear in my reporting early on that he is not a player I expect Manchester United to sign’.
Nonetheless, he left room for the unpredictable nature of football.
‘Until that window closes, stranger things have happened. I personally would love to see him in the Premier League. It would be amazing. But there’s no kind of movement towards that firmly as things stand’, he added.
