Man Utd in ‘aggressive pursuit’ of €130m ‘superstar’ because of Rio Ferdinand ‘pressure’ – report

Manchester United are planning to raid Galatasaray for Victor Osimhen in the summer transfer window, according to a report, which has revealed that the Old Trafford faithful have Red Devils legend Rio Ferdinand to thank for.

Ferdinand has long advocated for Man Utd to sign Osimhen, who made his loan deal at Galatasaray from Napoli permanent last summer.

The former Man Utd defender told talkSPORT in July 2025: “I’m like a broken record. If anyone listens to my podcast, I’ve said Osimhen for a while now.

“He’s a centre-forward, he’s experienced, he knows how to score goals at the top level. I’ve seen today that Galatasaray have put a £50m bid in.

“I mean, £50m to get a top-class striker, one of the top strikers in the world, is absolute peanuts in today’s market.

“I’ll be disappointed if he goes to Galatasaray for that type of money when Man United are crying out for a No. 9.”

In January 2026, Ferdinand said on his Youtube channel : “Osimhen will come to United, if United offer to take Osimhen, he would go, 100%.”

It seems that Man Utd co-owners, INEOS, have finally listened to Ferdinand, with Sports Boom reporting that the Red Devils are ready to make a move for Osimhen this summer.

The report has claimed that ‘the pressure from club legends like Rio Ferdinand is pushing the board toward a more aggressive pursuit’, although it has noted the threat that Man Utd face from Bayern Munich and Arsenal.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is personally keen on a deal for Osimhen, while Bayern are said to be looking at the Nigeria international striker as a long-term replacement for Harry Kane.

However, a deal for Osimhen would not be easy for Man Utd, with Sports Boom revealing how much it would cost the Premier League club to get a deal done for the ‘superstar’

According to the report, Galatasaray want €130million for the Nigerian striker, who has found the back of the net 18 times and has registered six assists in 26 matches in all competitions for the Turkish Super Lig club so far this season.

The 27-year-old’s salary at Galatasaray is also massive, with the striker earning €15-18 million with bonuses.

It will be interesting to see if Man Utd are willing to accept Galatasaray’s demands for Osimhen, who will be in action against Liverpool in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Man Utd spent €85million to sign Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2025, and it would be a massive blow for the Slovenia international striker if Osimhen moves to Old Trafford, especially as the youngster has not had the best of debut seasons.

The 22-year-old striker has scored only nine goals and given just one assist in 26 matches in all competitions for Man Utd so far this season.