Patrice Evra Urges Manchester United to Sign Victor Osimhen

Patrice Evra has urged Manchester United to throw their financial weight behind a move for Victor Osimhen, insisting the club cannot head into the business end of the window without a proven, ruthless No.9.

The Nigerian forward has long been on United’s radar after terrorising defences in Serie A, firing Napoli to the title and amassing 76 goals across four seasons in Italy. He has simply carried that form across the continent. In Turkey, he has hit 59 goals in 74 games for Galatasaray, maintaining the kind of numbers that force recruitment departments to keep watching.

There is a problem. Osimhen is locked into a deal in Istanbul until 2029. Anyone who wants him will have to arrive with a bid that makes even the Turkish champions pause. Evra’s view? United should not be scared of that conversation.

With Benjamin Sesko the only natural centre-forward in Michael Carrick’s squad, the former left-back believes the gap is obvious. Speaking to GOAL in association with Stake, Evra cut straight to the point about what United must bring in before the window shuts: “A striker, someone who scores a goal. I think that's what I'm looking at. That's why for me, Osimhen is the best. He’s a perfect example.”

Evra is not blind to issues elsewhere on the pitch, but he sees enough in midfield and attack to build around a new spearhead. Casemiro’s departure leaves a hole, yet he is backing Andrey Santos to grow into it after an eye-catching pre-season. Bruno Fernandes, he insists, remains the creative heartbeat. Patrick Dorgu, Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo add depth and variety in the final third.

The concerns shift when he looks at the back line. Evra believes United still need a “good alternative” at left-back and possibly another centre-back. He defends Harry Maguire, praising the England defender’s resilience under constant scrutiny, but wants extra quality and dynamism around him. At right-back, he is even more demanding: United, he says, should target a full-back who can hurt teams going forward and still lock things down defensively.

Amid all this talk of signings, one of the most intriguing storylines is already on the books.

Marcus Rashford, a United player since the age of seven, feels like a returning stranger. Loan spells at Aston Villa and Barcelona had him looking for a permanent escape route, his future seemingly drifting away from Old Trafford. Now, at 28, with 426 appearances and 138 goals behind him in red, he is back in the fold and being tipped to have a real say in the next chapter.

Evra, a Premier League and Champions League winner with the club, believes Rashford is being handed a rare opportunity: a clean slate at a place that still wants him to succeed. He also knows the scrutiny that comes with it.

“I think United fans, they forgive. They forgive,” he said, while acknowledging the constant noise that swirls around players online. He pointed out the strong form of Matheus Cunha as a reminder that competition is real and relentless.

For Rashford, that means a shift in mindset. “It's up to Marcus to accept that maybe he’s not the first choice,” Evra argued. The message is blunt: accept the fight, then win it. “I'm not the first choice, but I'm going to prove to you guys that when I'm going to be on that pitch, I will bleed and die for Man United.”

Honesty, Evra insists, is where it starts. With himself. With his role. With the work ahead. Social media may stay unforgiving, but he draws a sharp line between the online noise and the mood in the stands.

“The fans forgive,” he repeated. Some accounts will “make some noise,” but in his eyes, the “real United fans” still want one outcome: Marcus Rashford thriving at Old Trafford, not somewhere else.

So the picture is clear. United weigh up a huge outlay for Osimhen, debate reinforcements at the back, and watch a homegrown forward fight to reclaim his place. The question now is not whether change is coming, but which of these stories will define their season.