Man Utd baulk at Napoli's €100m Osimhen asking price as Ten Hag turns to cheaper alternatives

• Man Utd turn away from Osimhen

• Napoli want more than €100m
• Cheaper solutions now being considered

WHAT HAPPENED? With their search for a striker one of football's worst kept secrets right now, Florian Plettenburg of Sky Sports Germany reports that Osimhen is no longer at the top of United's centre forward shortlist as the board deem Napoli's asking price to be too expensive.

THE BIGGER PICTURE: United have been plugging the gap in their attack with short-term striker solutions ever since they sold Romelu Lukaku to Inter in 2019, but with Erik ten Hag now in the hot seat and propelling the team forward, a long-term option is being considered. Plettenburg states Nigerian forward Osimhen was top of the list, but Napoli's demands of more than €100m mean they will now focus their attention on cheaper solutions.

AND WHAT'S MORE: Ten Hag's squad is incredibly light in attack following the mid-season departure of Cristiano Ronaldo after tensions boiled over an unauthorised, tell-all interview. Anthony Martial enjoyed a brief resurgence but cannot stay fit, and new loan signing Wout Weghorst is seen as a stop-gap ahead of the summer transfer window.

United have been linked with the likes of Dusan Vlahovic and Benjamin Sesko as well as Harry Kane, although the Tottenham forward is now reportedly open to extending his stay in north London.

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Getty Images

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WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD? The Red Devils are unlikely to make any more forward signings in the current January transfer window and instead must focus on an incredibly tight fixture schedule, with a League Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest up next and the final firmly in reach.