Man United Passed on Victor Osimhen Due to AFCON – Ex-Assistant Coach
Former Benni McCarthy, who served as assistant head coach at Manchester United, has revealed that the club decided against signing Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen in 2023 due to concerns over the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Speaking to the BBC about his time working under Erik Ten Hag, McCarthy said that the idea of investing heavily in Osimhen, only to lose him mid-season for AFCON and risk injury, ultimately deterred the Red Devils.
“If you spend £100m on a player, you don’t want to lose him for AFCON. I think he would have been very successful there but it [the AFCON] was a big stumbling block. Losing him for so many important matches, the team suffers not having the main striker there,” McCarthy said.
He added, “So the decision was made. Literally, a big part was because of the AFCON and Victor Osimhen’s name got scratched off – not a player of interest because of that.”
At the time, Osimhen was fresh off winning the Serie A title with SSC Napoli, having scored 26 goals in the season. Instead of Osimhen, Manchester United opted to sign Denmark international Rasmus Hojlund.
Osimhen later joined Galatasaray midway through the 2024–25 campaign, scoring a crucial goal that helped the Turkish side reach the UEFA Champions League round of 16. He has also earned silver and bronze medals at AFCON, highlighting his continued impact on both club and international football.
