Patrice Evra Urges Manchester United to Sign Victor Osimhen
Patrice Evra has urged Manchester United to “dig deep” and go all out for Victor Osimhen, insisting the Galatasaray striker is the ruthless No.9 the club have been missing.
The Nigerian forward has hovered around United’s radar before. It is easy to see why. He fired Napoli to a Serie A title and left Italy with 76 goals across four seasons, then crossed to Turkey and kept the same brutal standards. At Galatasaray, he has struck 59 times in just 74 games, a record that screams elite.
United, though, would have to pay for that level. Osimhen is under contract in Istanbul until 2029, a deal designed to ward off opportunists and guarantee that only a huge, serious offer even starts the conversation.
Evra’s view? Pay it.
Evra: Osimhen is “the best”
With Benjamin Sesko the only natural centre-forward in Michael Carrick’s squad, Evra believes the gap is obvious and urgent.
“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,” he told GOAL, in association with Stake.
The former left-back accepts that United will miss Casemiro, but he sees reasons for optimism in midfield. He namechecked Andrey Santos, impressed by the Brazilian’s pre-season work and convinced he “can do something good over there”, while backing Bruno Fernandes to remain the creative heartbeat. Out wide and in support, Evra pointed to Patrick Dorgu, Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo as proof that United are not short of attacking options.
The issue, in his eyes, is clarity. The team needs a penalty-box killer. Osimhen, he argues, fits that bill better than anyone.
Defensive surgery still on the agenda
Evra did not stop at the forward line. He turned to a back four that still feels unfinished.
“Defensively, they may need to find a good alternative left-back. Maybe another centre-back,” he said, before moving to defend a player who has lived under constant scrutiny.
Harry Maguire, in Evra’s view, deserves more respect. “For me, he is doing his job and you know, he’s criticised a lot, but he shows you the resilience.” The message was clear: upgrade the defence, but do not ignore the character already in the dressing room.
He pushed for a specific profile on the flanks too. “I think maybe we need to find a good right-back, a good attacking and defensive right-back.” Someone who can overlap with conviction, yet still lock down their side when the tempo rises.
Rashford’s reset
While names swirl in the market, one of the most intriguing stories at United is already on the books. Marcus Rashford will feel like a new signing, Evra suggested, despite being at the club since the age of seven.
The England international is back in the fold after loan spells at Aston Villa and Barcelona. At 28, he had been open to a permanent move away, but the numbers tell their own story: 426 appearances, 138 goals. That kind of history does not just disappear.
Evra, a Premier League and Champions League winner with United, believes the relationship between Rashford and the fanbase can be rebuilt.
“I think United fans, they forgive. They forgive,” he said, while acknowledging the noise that surrounds any modern player. “But after, you know, there's all the pressure on social media and stuff like that, I think Matheus Cunha is doing very well.”
The competition is real. The challenge is clear.
“It's up to Marcus to accept that maybe he’s not the first choice. 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.
“So he just needs to be honest with himself. But the fans forgive. Some of them, yes, on social media, they're going to make some noise, but the real United fans, they really want Marcus Rashford to succeed at United.”
Between the call for a marquee No.9, the push for defensive reinforcements and the demand that Rashford fights his way back, Evra has laid down a blunt challenge. United know exactly what he thinks they need. The question now is whether the club are willing to match that ambition in the final stretch of the window.
