Why Premier League Teams Failed to Sign Osimhen — Cole

Former Manchester United striker Andy Cole has explained why several Premier League clubs have failed to sign Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen despite longstanding interest in the forward.

Osimhen has been linked with Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea in recent years, but none of the clubs completed a deal for the Nigeria international.

Speaking about the striker, Cole said Osimhen possesses the qualities needed to succeed in the Premier League but stressed that transfers involve several considerations beyond a player’s transfer fee and salary.

“He does. He scores goals. He scored goals in Italy and he’s scoring goals in Turkey as well,” Cole said.

“But, you know, it depends. There are many different factors in signing a player from a respective country. It’s not all about just the salary or the transfer fee. There could be many different things that go on.”

Cole added that he expected Osimhen to perform well if he eventually moves to England, although he was unsure which club could eventually secure his services.

Osimhen has enjoyed a prolific career in Europe since leaving Nigeria for Wolfsburg. He subsequently played for Charleroi and Lille before joining Napoli, where he became a key figure in the club’s Serie A title-winning campaign in the 2022/23 season.

The striker scored 31 goals during that title-winning campaign and has continued his goalscoring form since moving to Galatasaray.

Several former Premier League players have encouraged Manchester United to pursue the Nigerian forward, praising his goalscoring ability, physical strength and experience in European football.

United, however, have opted to strengthen their attack with other options instead of pursuing Osimhen.

Osimhen remains contracted to Galatasaray, meaning any future Premier League move would depend on the Turkish club, the player and an interested club reaching an agreement.

Cole’s comments suggest that the failure of previous Premier League approaches cannot be explained solely by the transfer fee or salary involved, with other factors potentially influencing negotiations.