Ogenyi Onazi slams Man Utd for passing on Victor Osimhen over AFCON

Onazi, a former Lazio midfielder, believes the Red Devils missed a major opportunity by overlooking one of Nigeria's most reliable goal scorers.

According to former Manchester United first-team coach Benni McCarthy, United had initially identified Osimhen as a prime transfer target.

However, McCarthy revealed that concerns about the striker's potential absence during AFCON ultimately led to his name being removed from the club's shortlist, Pulse Sports Nigeria reported.

"If you spend £100m on a player, you don't want to lose him for AFCON," McCarthy explained, calling the tournament a "big stumbling block" because United would be without their main striker during crucial fixtures.

Despite this, McCarthy praised Osimhen's work ethic, mental strength, and ability to handle the pressure of playing at a club like Manchester United.

Onazi, however, dismissed AFCON as a legitimate barrier. "Well, for me, I don't think that's an excuse for them not to sign Victor," he said.

"If they know the importance and what he could bring to Manchester United, that shouldn't be an excuse."

He pointed out that elite clubs routinely cope with players leaving for international duty, citing examples such as Mohamed Salah at Liverpool.

Onazi also stressed that AFCON lasts roughly a month and should not outweigh Osimhen's potential impact over an entire season.

"Victor would have been a very important player in the team, and he might even do the job before going to the African Cup and then go and come back. For me, it doesn't make any sense that they passed on the chance," he said. He added that clubs cannot prevent players from representing their countries, calling United's reasoning "flimsy."

For Onazi, the verdict is clear: Manchester United's hesitation has proven to be a costly miscalculation, as Osimhen continues to shine at Galatasaray S.K., reinforcing the belief that he could have transformed United's attacking options.