Evra and Saha urge Manchester United to sign Victor Osimhen after Ederson deal

Manchester United are on the verge of signing Atalanta midfielder Ederson in a £37 million deal, but former players Patrice Evra and Louis Saha are already pointing to their next target: Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen.

Osimhen, 27, scored 22 goals for Galatasaray last season as they won the Turkish league title, and has netted 59 in 74 appearances since joining from Napoli for £65 million. Before his move to Turkey, he was linked with Chelsea, but has never played in the Premier League.

Evra was unequivocal in his recommendation. “Victor Osimhen. Manchester United need a proper striker,” he told GOAL. “Back in the day, we had four amazing strikers, and if you want to play every competition, you need more strikers. I say Osimhen because I know this guy can make a difference.”

Evra also acknowledged other areas of need, noting that Casemiro’s expected departure means midfield cover is required, alongside an additional left-back. But he insisted Osimhen is the single most impactful addition United could make.

Saha echoed that view, pointing to Osimhen’s consistency across multiple leagues. “He’s definitely got the character, he’s got the quality,” the former United striker said. “He was a success in France, he was a champion in Italy with Napoli, and he’s gone to Turkey and been brilliant. He’s scored goals at every level and he’s got Champions League experience.”

Osimhen’s record at Napoli — 76 goals in 133 games — and a contract with Galatasaray running until June 2029 suggest any deal would be expensive. United spent over £200 million on attacking reinforcements last summer, bringing in Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo. Sesko and Mbeumo each scored 11 Premier League goals in their debut campaigns, while Cunha contributed 10 — one more than captain Bruno Fernandes.

Despite a turbulent start to the season under Ruben Amorim, United recovered strongly after Michael Carrick took charge, winning 12 of his 17 games to finish third in the Premier League. The club scored only two fewer league goals than champions Arsenal, yet both Evra and Saha believe a clinical centre-forward remains the missing piece.