Manchester United are expected to have a meeting with the representatives of Napoli striker Victor Osimhen “next week”, according to journalist Sacha Tavolieri.

The Belgian reporter claims that the Red Devils, Chelsea and Liverpool are all set to hold talks about signing the Nigerian international:

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🔵 Le dossier Victor #Osimhen🇳🇬 va bouger sur le marché! #ManUnited, #ChelseaFC & #Liverpool ont des meetings prévus avec l’entourage du meilleur buteur de #SerieA. La semaine prochaine devrait définir les intentions de ses 3 clubs.
La priorité d’#Osimhen est la #PremierLeague. pic.twitter.com/fOINhWD8hQ

— Sacha Tavolieri (@sachatavolieri) June 24, 2023

Tavolieri is usually pretty reliable when it comes to Belgian players but, when it comes to other countries, it’s fair to say that fans should treat his claims with caution.

United are clearly in the market for a new number nine, and Osimhen is believed to be on their target list, but the biggest stumbling block is his asking price which currently stands at a staggering €150m (£129m).

Can United’s transfer budget stretch that far?

Multiple reports have suggested that, due to Financial Fair Play rules, Erik ten Hag’s side are restricted to spending around £100m to £150m this summer before player sales.

It’s hard to see the Red Devils spending almost all of their transfer funds on one player so, unless a compromise can be reached with Napoli on Osimhen’s fee, the chances of the forward making the switch to Old Trafford are rather slim.

Who are the main alternatives to Osimhen that United are looking at?

Eintracht Frankfurt’s Randal Kolo Muani is known to be high on the club’s shortlist of striker targets, but he could still cost around €80m (£69m) including add-ons.

Another potential option is Rasmus Hojlund but his team Atalanta are said to be holding out for between €60m (£51.6m) and €70m (£60m), which is a sizeable amount for a relatively inexperienced player. Other players could yet enter the mix.