Opinion : Why Manchester United should prioritize the signing of Osimhen over Kane 

It is not news that Manchester United are in search of a new striker ahead of a next season and two of their top targets are Victor Osimhen and Harry Kane.

The Red Devils current options in that  department are Wout Weghorst and Anthony Martial. Weghorst was brought in January on loan and would leave in the summer while Martial has proven that he can’t be trusted to lead the line due to inconsistency and frequent injuries.

Both Osimhen and Kane are proven goalscorers, the Napoli striker has 19 goals in 22 appearances in the Serie A while the Englishman has scored 20 goals in 27 games in the Premier League this season for Tottenham Hotspur. 

But stats say that it is the Super Eagles striker that has been more clinical and dangerous in front of goal.

Osimhen has scored more goals from his shots on target (without scoring a penalty) than Kane. The Tottenham striker has scored 3 penalties, according to stats from FBREF. 

This is important  because the quality of a striker’s shots determines how much he will score. 

The  counter-argument would be Osimhen has missed more big chances this season but that is because he is playing for a better attacking team.

The fact that he has scored more goals from his expected goals than Kane is enough to throw this argument in the bin.

Another important point to note is that Manchester United is a counter attacking team which is evidenced by the fact they have scored more goals from counter-attacks than any team in the Premier League this season.

With Osimhen being adjudged to be quicker than Kane having clocked a higher speed than the English forward in the UEFA champions league this season, he will be better suited to Manchester United’s counter-attacking system than the Tottenham striker.

While it is apparent that Kane offers more in attack with his playmaking ability, Osimhen has also shown that he is not a mere goal merchant.

The Nigerian striker has 4 assists this season which is more than that of Kane (2). The Napoli striker also averages 2 shot creating actions per game (the last two offensive actions be it a shot, pass, dribble or a foul won before a shot is played) which is not a far cry from Kane’s 3.64.

Another counter argument against Osimhen is that he doesn’t have the Premier League experience as compared to Kane.

While this is true to an extent, players like Erling Haaland and Lisandro Martinez have proven that a player can excel without prior Premier League experience provided his new team is ready to play to his strength.

In conclusion, without alluding to the obvious fact that Osimhen is younger and would provide longevity, the above facts have shown why Manchester United should prioritize the signing of the Napoli striker over Kane. 

Abdulkareem Abdulhamid

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