Former Manchester United striker Andy Cole has offered an explanation for why Premier League clubs have repeatedly failed to sign Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen, insisting that transfer decisions involve considerably more than the cost of a player and his wages.

Osimhen has been linked with several Premier League giants in recent transfer windows, including Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea, but none of the clubs has completed a deal for the 27-year-old Nigeria international.  

Cole believes Osimhen possesses the qualities required to succeed in England, particularly given his goalscoring record in Italy and Turkey.

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

The former United forward, however, stressed that several considerations can influence a club’s decision to recruit a player, meaning a transfer cannot simply be reduced to the player’s transfer fee or salary demands.

“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,” he added.  

Cole nevertheless believes Osimhen could make a significant impact should he eventually move to the Premier League, although he was unwilling to predict which club could eventually secure his services.

“If he does come to the Premier League, which I think he will be very good at, you never know who he’ll go to,” Cole said.  

Osimhen began his European career with Wolfsburg before establishing himself during a loan spell at Belgian club Charleroi. He subsequently moved to Lille and then Napoli, where he became one of Europe’s most prolific strikers.

The Nigerian enjoyed a particularly outstanding spell at Napoli, helping the Italian club win the Serie A title in the 2022/23 season. He scored 31 goals during that campaign and has continued his goalscoring form since joining Galatasaray.  

At Galatasaray, Osimhen has reportedly scored 65 goals in 78 appearances, further strengthening his reputation as one of the leading African forwards playing in Europe.  

Former Manchester United defender Patrice Evra has previously backed his old club to sign Osimhen, describing the Nigerian as the type of striker United need, while former France international Louis Saha has also urged the club to pursue him.  

Despite the continued recommendations, Manchester United opted to sign Benjamin Sesko as their main out-and-out striker, leaving Osimhen’s future at Galatasaray and the possibility of a Premier League move open for another transfer window.