Napoli have excluded Victor Osimhen from the club’s pre-season training camp in the latest indicator of his impending permanent exit. However, Manchester United will have to move quickly if they want to hijack Galatasaray’s interest as the Turkish giants continue to negotiate a transfer.
Ruben Amorim reportedly wants to sign a striker, as well as a midfielder and potentially a wing-back, once he adds Bryan Mbeumo to his squad. United are on the verge of sealing a deal for Mbeumo after submitting a third bid worth £65million plus £5m in add-ons to Brentford, meeting their demands.
Amorim will rely on player sales for further arrivals, having already splashed £62.5m to sign Matheus Cunha from Wolves.
Marcus Rashford, Antony, Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho and Tyrell Malacia are at the forefront of the shop window as the quintet train away from the main group.
Should United generate the required funds, they are expected to pursue a new striker, with Osimhen among their reported targets.
The 26-year-old is undoubtedly available this summer, and Antonio Conte omitted him from his 30-player pre-season training squad.
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Napoli will prepare for their Serie A title defence in Dimaro Folgarida in the Trentino Alto Adige region as usual. New signings Kevin De Bruyne, Noa Lang and Luca Marianucci are among those set to take part.
But Osimhen will be absent along with Cyril Ngonge, Walid Cheddira, Jesper Lindstrom, Michael Folorunsho, Jens Cajuste and Giuseppe Ambrosino.
Yet, while the Nigerian goalscorer is on the market, United, or any of Galatasaray’s rival suitors, must move quickly.
According to Football Italia, Osimhen has a medical note that exempts him from pre-season tests as he pushes for a permanent switch to Istanbul.
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It’s claimed that Galatasaray have agreed to meet Napoli’s £64.8m valuation, but discussions continue over payment terms.
Napoli are said to want £43.2m upfront, with the remaining £21.6m paid by the end of 2026. They could accept a slightly lower initial fee, as long as the full price tag is paid within a year.
The report adds that Galatasaray continued talks on Wednesday and have informed the Italian champions that they can provide a letter of credit from the bank.
That would ensure they are paid in full for Osimhen, and an agreement is believed to be edging closer. United will likely be too late to the party, should they finally free up the budget.
