Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) schedule was a major factor in Manchester United’s decision not to pursue Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen, according to the club’s former first‑team coach Benni McCarthy.
McCarthy, speaking on BBC World Service’s Newsday, said investing around £100 million in a player who would then be absent for several crucial matches during AFCON was too big a risk for the club.
Osimhen had attracted strong interest from Europe’s top clubs after scoring 26 Serie A goals in the 2022‑23 season to help Napoli win their first Italian title in 33 years.
“If you spend £100m on a player, you don’t want to lose him for Afcon,” McCarthy said, describing the tournament as a “big stumbling block.”
He added that the fear of losing the main striker for so many important fixtures led the club to effectively cross Osimhen off its list of targets at the time.
