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Man United must get Osimhen now – Ferdinand

'He Can Only Leave For €75m' - Napoli Reject Official Bid For Victor Osimhen

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has urged the club to make a move for Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen before the January transfer window closes.

Ferdinand’s remarks come in response to the struggles of Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee to deliver goals for the Red Devils.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ferdinand emphasized the need for a proven goal-scorer to bolster the team.

“I have watched Hojlund closely the last two games… it just doesn’t add up,” Ferdinand said.

“I’d be going to get Osimhen now if we can do it from a financial standpoint. Get him on loan now!

“Guarantees you someone who can get on the end of things, score goals, is experienced, and has done it at the top level.”

He further highlighted the developmental gap for Hojlund, stating:

“I just feel like because Hojlund was £70m-odd, we’re expecting the finished article. Unfortunately, he is not. He’s a young striker, but normally a striker of that age comes in and learns off someone. He’s got nobody to learn from.

“He’s looking at [Joshua] Zirkzee, who’s like him. They both need someone to learn what it takes to be a Manchester United No. 9.”

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Wayne Rooney open to returning to football management

England legend Wayne Rooney has expressed his desire to return to football management after leaving Plymouth Argyle by mutual consent in December.

The 39-year-old’s managerial career has seen stints at Derby County, Birmingham City, DC United, and Plymouth Argyle over just two and a half years. Despite these challenges, Rooney remains determined to get back into coaching.

Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Rooney said, “I would like to go back in, but it would have to be the right club. Certainly the right club.”

Reflecting on his experiences, Rooney added, “I think you always have that ego, don’t you? You always have that confidence you could go in and get the best out of a bad or difficult situation. Obviously, that wasn’t the case at Plymouth.”

For now, Rooney plans to enjoy time with his family but remains open to the right opportunity in the future.

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Napoli rejects Galatasaray’s €65m bid for Victor Osimhen

Napoli has turned down Galatasaray’s €65 million bid for Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen, according to Il Corriere dello Sport.

Osimhen, who joined the Turkish Super Lig champions on loan from Napoli last September, has an option to make his move permanent. However, Napoli is firm on their €75 million valuation and unwilling to lower the fee.

The 24-year-old forward has been in impressive form, netting 12 goals in 15 league appearances for Galatasaray this season.

Reports also suggest Osimhen rejected a move to Manchester United earlier this month, signaling his preference to stay in Turkey for the time being.

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Guardiola: I’m Confident We’ll Beat Brugge

Manchester City will host Brugge at the Etihad Stadium in their final UEFA Champions League group game on Wednesday.

As the winners of the tournament in 2023, City can’t afford a loss or a draw at home because winning is their only way to make the playoffs and continue to fight for a place in the round of 16.

Having won only two of their past seven games in the group, City sit 25th in the 36-team table with eight points. In the new Champions League format, the top-eight teams from the group phase will automatically qualify for the round of 16 while, ninth to 24th compete for the other eight spots in the playoffs.

City’s opponents Brugge are five places above them with 11 points. They have to win on the road to guarantee themselves a place in the last 16, but it won’t be easy since the Belgian club has never defeated City in the Champions League. The last time they came to the Etihad Stadium in 2021, the hosts walked over them 4-1.

The good news for City is that they seem to have snapped out of their poor form from the end of last year. From October to December 2024, the club lost 13 games in all competitions. However, they remained undefeated in the past seven Premier League games, making it back to the top-four in the league in impressive fasion. Furthermore, City have not lost any of their 34 home games at the Champions League since 2018.

“Well, the situation that we have, we have no other option – to win the game,” City’s manager Pep Guardiola said. “And if not, we will not continue in this competition. We want to go through to have another chance to play another two games to qualify for the next stage. It’s not a problem, it’s an opportunity, a challenge, and we will face it.”