AFCON 2025
Benni McCarthy has revealed that Manchester United held serious interest in signing Victor Osimhen but ultimately backed away from the move because of concerns around the Africa Cup of Nations.
McCarthy, who previously worked as a first-team coach under Erik ten Hag at United, said the Nigerian striker was among the club’s top attacking targets during their search for a centre-forward.
At the time, Osimhen was one of the most sought-after strikers in Europe following his prolific performances for S.S.C. Napoli. His goals played a key role in Napoli’s historic Serie A title-winning campaign, placing him firmly on the radar of several elite clubs.
McCarthy explained that despite the club’s admiration for the forward, United were hesitant to commit to a deal that could see their main striker absent during the middle of the season.
Erik Ten Hang said, Bennie you go on the board about attacking players. Victor Osimhen was at the top of the list, he could be a great asset to the team. But when we sat there one of the scouts brought it up and we had to have that conversation about AFCON, it was a big stumbling block, but yeah, paying all that money, he goes to AFCON, he gets injured, he comes back and then €100m goes down the drain. If you spend €100m on a player you don’t want to lose him for AFCON
The former striker noted that the Africa Cup of Nations, which is typically held during the European season, was viewed internally as a potential disruption for a team competing across multiple competitions.
Manchester United eventually opted for a different profile in attack, signing Rasmus Højlund as part of their squad rebuild under Ten Hag.
Osimhen has remained one of Africa’s most prominent forwards in European football, continuing to attract interest from top clubs while maintaining his status as a key figure for the Nigeria national football team.
