Manchester United Reportedly Passed on Victor Osimhen Due to AFCON Concerns
Former Manchester United assistant coach Benni McCarthy has revealed that the club decided against signing Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen in 2023, largely because of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament.
According to McCarthy, the thought of paying a large transfer fee for Osimhen, only to lose him for several weeks during the middle of the season, was a major concern for the club’s decision-makers. The risk of injury during the tournament was also seen as a serious factor.
“So the decision was made. Literally [a] big part was because of the AFCON and Victor Osimhen’s name got scratched off, not a player of interest because of that,” McCarthy said.
At the time, Osimhen was coming off a remarkable season. He had just helped Napoli win the Italian Serie A title and scored 26 league goals. Despite his strong form, Manchester United chose to sign Danish forward Rasmus Hojlund instead.
Osimhen eventually joined Turkish club Galatasaray midway through the 2024-2025 season. He has already made an impact, scoring an important goal to help the team qualify for the UEFA Champions League round of 16.
On the international stage, Osimhen has been a key player for Nigeria. At the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, he was in excellent form, scoring four goals in five games. He won the man-of-the-match award in the quarterfinal after opening the scoring in a 2-0 win over Algeria. In his career, he has earned an AFCON silver medal and a bronze medal with the Super Eagles.
Osimhen also helped Galatasaray to qualify to the Round of 16 of the UEFA champions league by eliminating Juventus in the playoffs