Victor Osimhen to Manchester United: 3 stars who could lose out if deal happens

A move for Victor Osimhen would add a proven goalscorer to Manchester United’s attack and also change the pecking order for several forwards at Old Trafford, Afrik-Foot reports.

Football FanCast reports that United have made an enquiry about the Nigeria striker, who has also been linked with moves to Arsenal, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal.

Osimhen’s link to Old Trafford is interesting because United have already spent heavily on their attack over the past two transfer windows. Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha all arrived in the 2025 summer window. The three deals cost about €76.5m, €75m and €74.2m respectively. The club’s official squad list includes Joshua Zirkzee and Amad Diallo among the forwards, while Michael Carrick is now preparing the team for a return to the Champions League.

The potential arrival of Osimhen would readily impact a number of these attackers, as the Nigerian forward would raise the level of competition at Old Trafford. The 27-year-old scored 15 goals and provided five assists in 22 Süper Lig appearances for Galatasaray in 2025-26. He also scored seven goals in 10 Champions League appearances. That gives him 22 goals across those two competitions and has hit two goals in his first league game this term already.

Osimhen’s record also includes 26 league goals for Galatasaray in the 2024-25 season. That is the level of striker United would be trying to put at the front of their attack. Here are the forwards who could pay the price for the Super Eagles striker’s arrival.

Benjamin Sesko

Sesko would face the clearest threat. United signed the Slovenian striker from RB Leipzig in August 2025. Sesko had a strong first season. He scored 12 goals in all competitions and finished joint-top of United’s scoring chart with Mbeumo. Eleven of those goals came in the Premier League.

That makes the Osimhen situation difficult to ignore.

Sesko was signed to develop into a leading striker. He was only 22 when he arrived and turned 23 at the end of his first campaign. His first season also showed why United have reasons to keep trusting him. His goals directly earned United 12 Premier League points, according to TNT Sports’ analysis.

But Osimhen would bring a different level of experience and proven output. The former Napoli scored 41 league goals for Galatasaray across his first two seasons there. If United sign Osimhen and Carrick uses a normal centre-forward, one striker would have to give way.

Sesko would probably start as the main alternative. That could turn his role from regular starter into a rotation player. He could still play in the Champions League, domestic cups and selected Premier League matches. Injuries and fixture congestion would also create chances. But the number of starts would almost certainly face pressure.

There is another problem for Sesko. United are returning to the Champions League after finishing third in the Premier League last season. Carrick therefore needs a squad that can cope with more matches, but he also needs a clear first-choice attack. If Osimhen arrives, the most expensive and established striker is likely to get priority in the most important matches.

That puts Sesko in the first line of players affected.

Joshua Zirkzee

Zirkzee’s situation is even more difficult because his starting position was already weak. The Netherlands forward played only 24 Premier League matches last season and had 626 minutes on the pitch. He scored two goals and supplied one assist. His limited league role was clear from the starting figures. He started only five Premier League games.

Osimhen would make that path even narrower for Zirkzee. The former Bayern Munich man would compete for much of the same central attacking space as Osimhen and Sesko. The 25-year-old did provide a reminder of his ability during pre-season. He scored United’s opening goal in the 1-1 draw with Leeds at Croke Park in Dublin on 12 August. The match went to penalties after the referee ended the game early following pitch invasions, with United winning the shootout 5-4. That goal could help him in Carrick’s thinking, but it does not change the squad problem.

United already have two established centre-forward options in Sesko and Cunha. Add Osimhen and Zirkzee becomes the fourth senior player who can operate through the middle.

Cunha gives him another problem. The Brazilian is not limited to the striker role. He played 33 Premier League matches in 2025-26, started 29 and scored 10 goals. He also provided two assists. Cunha’s flexibility gives him more ways to find minutes, even with Osimhen’s arrival.

Zirkzee does not have the same advantage. He would need to convince Carrick that his link play, movement and ability to connect attacks offer something Osimhen does not. The evidence from last season makes that a tough fight.

If the Nigerian arrives, Zirkzee could move from a fringe option to an even deeper reserve role. A loan or transfer could also become more logical if United decide that four senior central attackers are too many.

Bryan Mbeumo

Mbeumo is the least obvious name on this list, but Osimhen could still affect his minutes. The Cameroon international had an excellent first season at Old Trafford. He scored 12 goals in all competitions and 11 in the Premier League. He also supplied three assists in the top flight. He played 33 league matches and 2,609 minutes.

That makes it difficult to argue that Mbeumo should simply lose his place. His main position is also different. The former Brentford man often operates as a right winger, while Osimhen is a centre-forward.

The problem is that Mbeumo has already shown he can play through the centre. That became important during pre-season. With Sesko unavailable, Mbeumo was used as the central striker in the expected line-up for United’s opening Premier League game against Hull City. Amad was expected on the right and Cunha on the left.

An Osimhen signing would remove that route. Instead of Mbeumo filling the central role when United need a striker, Osimhen would take that position. Mbeumo could then spend more time competing with Amad and other wide players for the right-sided role.

That creates a new selection battle. Mbeumo had 2,609 Premier League minutes last season. Amad had 2,341. Both players were important to United’s attacking structure. Carrick could keep both on the pitch by using Mbeumo on the right and Amad in another attacking position. He could also rotate them across a long Champions League and Premier League campaign.

But Mbeumo’s ability to cover centre-forward duties would become less useful once Osimhen arrives. That is why his minutes could fall without him becoming a substitute every week. The impact would be tactical rather than simply positional.

What Osimhen would change at United

The possible signing would create a very different attacking hierarchy. A likely first-choice attack could feature Osimhen through the middle, Cunha behind or to his left, and Mbeumo or Amad on the right. Bruno Fernandes would continue to provide an important creative option from midfield.

That would leave Sesko fighting for starts, Zirkzee fighting for squad places and Mbeumo fighting to keep his role as one of the main attacking starters.

Cunha would probably have more protection because his ability to play as an attacking midfielder gives Carrick another way to use him. Amad also has a stronger case than his goal total suggests. His ability to play wide gives Carrick a different option from a traditional striker.

The wider point is that United would not be adding Osimhen to a weak attack. They already have three forwards who produced double-digit league or all-competition goal totals last season. Osimhen would therefore be a competition for places signing rather than a simple attempt to fill an empty position. That could be valuable with United back in Europe.

It could also create a difficult question for Carrick: how does he keep a £76.5m striker, a £75m winger, a £74.2m forward and an elite new No.9 involved at the same time? Osimhen would raise the standard of the attack. His signing would also raise the cost of every player who loses minutes.