Players of Manchester United following defeat in the UEFA Europa League Final 2025 (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Former Manchester United defender Rafael has named Victor Osimhen as the best transfer target Ruben Amorim should pursue this summer following their UEFA Europa League Final loss to Tottenham on Wednesday.
United clearly lacked firepower in their 1-0 loss to Spurs at the Estadio San Mamés, with Brennan Johnson’s first-half goal making the difference in Bilbao.
During an exclusive interview with RG in the Spanish city, Rafael did not hide his disappointment with the Red Devils’ performance and hinted that both quality and mentality are lacking in the current United squad.
Sir Ferguson Won’t Accept This Performance
When asked about the major problem in Amorim’s team, he told RG: “I don’t know, it’s a lot of negative things of course, but some players need to do better because when you play for Manchester United, it is different. They need to give more, they need to have more quality in order to play. The match tonight [Europa League final] was not very good to some level, so I think they need some more quality.”
Rafael played under legendary Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford before leaving in 2015. He won the FA Community Shield, FIFA Club World Cup, and the Premier League title in his maiden season.
The former Brazilian right-back was asked about what Sir Ferguson’s reaction to United’s poor run of form would have been, and he said:
Osimhen The Best Option for Man Utd
Rafael believes Manchester United need to reinforce their firepower this summer due to the inconsistencies of Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund in front of goal.
During a recent press conference in Lyon, Amorim defended Hojlund in response to a question asked by RG, but his performance in Wednesday’s final has once again raised questions about quality.
Rafael suggested Victor Osimhen as the best attacking option for Amorim’s squad, praising him as a ‘100 per cent’ striker.
When asked about a player he would love to see as a new signing at Old Trafford next season, the three-time Premier League winner said: “Osimhen, I love him, he’s a very good player. I have to say I prefer him over Hojlund for sure. He’s 100%.
“I’m not a fan of Hojlund, I hope he gets better. I don’t know if he will stay at Manchester United or not."
“I would pick Osimhen to play for Manchester, of course, to play as a striker.”
Osimhen is currently at Galatasaray on a season-long loan from Napoli and is on course to clinch the top scorer award in the Turkish Super Lig after scoring 25 goals in 29 league matches this season.
The Nigeria star has already proven his lethal goalscoring abilities in Europe, having claimed the Italian Serie A top scorer award in the 2023/24 campaign with 26 goals for Napoli.
When quizzed about further additions, Rafael said: “It’s hard to say this, what addition? There’s a lot of things to change, we all know they need to get better, that’s for sure. It’s coming from players, it’s coming from mentality as well, so there’s a lot of things to change.”
Manchester United are 16th in the Premier League table and are on an eight-game winless run in the English top-flight, with their last win dating back to a 3-0 defeat of Leicester City on March 16.
The Red Devils are scheduled to end their 2024–25 season at Old Trafford with a match against sixth-placed Aston Villa on Sunday.
With a global perspective on sports journalism, Taiye brings much experience covering sports across continents. He focuses particularly on football (soccer), basketball, and emerging sports trends. In addition to his versatile writing and deep understanding of the global sports landscape, his ability to blend cultural insights with detailed sports reporting has earned him a reputation as a go-to journalist for international sports coverage.
