Bayern Munich Sports Director Hasan Salihamidzic has chosen not to speak on the club's reported pursuit of Victor Osimhen ahead of a summer transfer.
The 24-year-old striker is on the verge of an exit from Napoli after three seasons of high performance despite a struggle with fitness and brutal injuries. He has played 93 times for the Partenopei and has scored 54 goals while providing 14 assists.
All of his three seasons have seen him hit double figures on goals. It has been a steady progression for the 2015 under-17 World Cup winner and this season, his goals are leading Napoli to Serie A glory after more than three decades.
21 goals in 25 in the Serie A puts him in pole position for the top scorer award in Italy – the Capocannoniere. He is also one of the key candidates to win the league's footballer of the year award. If he wins the award, he will be the first African player to do so since the award was inaugurated in 1997, further adding to the list of personal accolades he has already won at the club.
Osimhen's performances have attracted interest from many European clubs, including Bayern Munich, the defending German Bundesliga champions.
Didier Drogba and Dimitar Berbatov have advised Victor Osimhen to move to a Premier League club.
Berbatov says he wants him to play for Manchester United. pic.twitter.com/nGHs2YOSWh
— Africa Facts Zone (@AfricaFactsZone) April 21, 2023
The Bavarians parted ways with Robert Lewandowski in the summer after nine years but failed to secure a replacement for the Poland captain. They have instead opted for a false nine or Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting up front and it has not produced the kind of results they are used to.
The Nigeria international is among the strikers that the media have linked to Bayern but the club's Sports Director Hasan Salihamidzic has chosen to remain coy on the links.
Speaking to the media after they were dumped out of the UEFA Champions League by Manchester City on Wednesday with a 4 – 1 aggregate scoreline, Salihamidzic only gave away the fact that the money involved will determine the striker(s) the club will pursue in the summer.
“I will not discuss names now. However, we will see what the coach has in mind, who is involved, what are the financial implications, then we can see the possibilities,” Salihamidzic said.
Going by this statement, Osimhen may be ruled out for Bayern as Napoli's president Aurelio De Laurentiis has pegged a €120 million fee on the striker.
Bayern are not known for making expensive signings but with the best strikers currently going for huge fees, it remains to be seen what their position in the summer will be. Osimhen, on the other hand, has his heart set on a Premier League move which could also count against the Bavarians in the summer.
Having spent his early years in Europe with VfL Wolfsburg, the Napoli man has a good understanding of how German football works. But with Chelsea and Manchester United in the race for him, Bayern – and any other club from other leagues across Europe – will have to work twice as hard to convince him.
This article was most recently revised and updated 1 year ago
