Former Manchester United and AC Milan star Jaap Stam has warned that the club should consider the potential ‘struggle’ Napoli’s star striker Victor Osimhen could face in the Premier League if United make a move for him during the upcoming transfer window.
The retired defender argued that whilst the forward – who became Serie A’s highest-scoring African player after breaking George Weah’s record in May – is a strong choice as the club continues their hunt for an talented target man, Osimhen may lack the necessary competition nous for success in England.
By contrast, Stam argued that United’s top choice, Harry Kane, has more than ‘proven himself’ capable of performing at the highest level for the Red Devils.
United are looking to draft in a striker to take the place of out-of-form Wout Weghorst, the Burnley loanee recruited after Cristiano Ronaldo’s ignominious exit at the start of the 2022 World Cup.
Kane is believed to be the club’s number one choice, but after playing a vital role in Napoli’s historic Scudetto-winning season, Osimhen has been heavily linked with the Manchester club.
As per Full Circle with Bet365, Stam said it was ‘difficult’ to say which forward would suit Erik ten Hag’s side more.
‘Kane knows the Premier League very well, he’s proven himself at Spurs and he’s one of the best goalscorers in the world, he knows the level of play and what’s been expected from him, and what he can bring,’ Stam told the newspaper.
‘So you can bring in a player like Kane and of course you would be doing a very, very good deal for United in bringing him in. I think Osimhen, he’s a different type of player.
‘For him, he needs to get acquainted with the Premier League at first. It can go fast, but it can also be a struggle at times as well.’
Stam – who became the most expensive defender in history when he moved to United in a £10.6million move in 1998 – said that Ten Hag would have to look closely at the specific requirements needed by his incoming forward.
‘Ten Hag also needs to have a look at his philosophy and the type of player that he wants to have,’ he added. ‘Does he want to have a real strong No.9 and a target man that can hold up the ball, who can link up with other players around him as well?
‘Does he want to have a small creative player with a lot of pace as well? Is he dropping in at times a little bit more?
‘Do you want to have a player with a lot of pace up front to make a change as well in your way of playing like Rashford was doing when he played up front in transition?
‘But you need to have a No 9. You need to have a different striker in the team to give you that something extra, to give you these goals.’
Kane has long been considered out of bounds for Tottenham’s Premier League rivals, with chairman Daniel Levy previously ruling out a sale to his direct competition.
But with just a year left on the England captain’s contract, Levy may look to cash in.
However, United are not the only club tracking Spurs’ record goalscorer, with Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain said to be circling should Kane seek a move away from English football.
Napoli have previously been adamant of their desire to cling on to Osimhen – who has also caught the eye of Chelsea and Arsenal – slapping a bumper £104m price tag on their star man in advance of any concrete offers.
Chief executive Aurelio De Laurentiis said as recently as last week that there was ‘no way’ he would part with the Nigerian attacker.
Ten Hag has been planning a veritable raid on the Serie A victors, with the Dutch manager also having designs on centre-back Kim Min-jae as he plots his revamped backline.
Should United miss out on securing the services of either Kane or Osimhen, a move for Benfica’s wonderkid Goncalo Ramos is also being considered.
The 21-year-old rocketed to international recognition after he scored a hat-trick for Portugal during their World Cup tie against Switzerland when started ahead of Ronaldo.
Benfica are said to be looking for a deal worth between £70m and £100m should they wish to lose the Primeira Liga starlet.
source dailymail