Soccer

“He Would’ve Killed Someone!” – Rafael Slams Man Utd’s Mentality, Urges Amorim to Sign Osimhen

Published: May 22, 2025, 5:04 PM
5 min read
Updated: Jul 8, 2025, 8:08 AM
Fact checked by:
Sergey Demidov
Players of Manchester United look dejected following defeat in the UEFA Europa League Final 2025

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:

“He would have killed someone. Of course, I’m saying this in a joke way, it’s important these days to say that, but he would be very, very pissed for sure. He would not accept that because he was an angry guy once you come from a mentality of playing. You need to fight, you play for Man United, so I think he would be very mad.”

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.

Soccer Reporter
Taiye Taiwo is a bilingual sports journalist accredited by FIFA, UEFA, CAF and AIPS. Since 2016, he has reported for major platforms including GOAL, Sporting News and Afrosport, covering soccer across African football, Ligue 1, MLS and global competitions. He is also active in basketball coverage, with a focus on the EuroLeague and international hoops. Taiwo has covered top events such as the Paris 2024 Olympics, AFCON 2023 and UEFA finals, and has interviewed stars such as Didier Drogba and Asisat Oshoala.
Interests:
MLS
CAF
UCL
Euroleague
esports
Sports Marketing

More Soccer Stories

Soccer
Analysis
Examining Viktor Gyökeres’ Fit With Arsenal After Swede Joins Club

Viktor Gyökeres is finally joining Arsenal from Sporting Lisbon. How does the striker fit into the Gunners’ squad for the upcoming Premier League campaign?

6
07/22/2025
Quinn Allen
Quinn Allen
Examining Viktor Gyökeres’ Fit With Arsenal After Swede Joins Club
Soccer
Analysis
Rashford Heading to Barcelona – How Does he Fit Into Flick’s Attack?

Marcus Rashford has reached an agreement to go on loan to Barcelona from Manchester United. How will he fit into Hansi Flick's attack?

6
07/19/2025
Quinn Allen
Quinn Allen
Rashford Heading to Barcelona – How Does he Fit Into Flick’s Attack?
Soccer
News Report
FC Dundee in Talks to Sign Brera Strumica Star Martin Gjorgievski

FC Dundee is progressing in talks with AP Brera Strumica to sign Macedonian prodigy Martin Gjorgievski this summer.

5
07/18/2025
Filip Mishov
Filip Mishov
FC Dundee in Talks to Sign Brera Strumica Star Martin Gjorgievski
Soccer
Analysis
Chelsea Have Arrived as Serious Premier League Title Contenders

Chelsea ran through PSG in the Club World Cup final and proved they're ready to announce themselves as Premier League contenders again.

6
07/15/2025
Quinn Allen
Quinn Allen
Chelsea Have Arrived as Serious Premier League Title Contenders
Prev
...
Next

Soccer Writers

Zach Lowy
Zach Lowy
Soccer Reporter

Zach Lowy is a seasoned freelance football journalist with more than a decade of experience writing for top-tier news outlets. His expertise and insights have also made him a sought-after guest on radio and television, including appearances on BBC, SiriusXMFC, and other prominent sports platforms.

Before joining RG, Zach contributed to well-known sports websites, including FotMob (2024–present), BetUS (2023–present), and BET Central (2019–2024), where he built a strong reputation for in-depth analysis and compelling storytelling.

A graduate of George Washington University with a degree in global sports journalism, Zach leverages his multilingual skills to conduct interviews and report in both Spanish and Portuguese. This linguistic ability has enabled him to engage directly with major football figures and cover prestigious tournaments, such as the 2016 Copa América and the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Throughout his career, Zach has interviewed legendary players such as Simão Sabrosa and Diego Forlán and tackled a broad spectrum of football topics — from Marseille’s historic match-fixing scandal to the rapid rise of Joan García with Espanyol. His trilingual fluency and sharp focus on football make him a versatile and insightful voice in the sport.

Zach is based in Washington, D.C., where he continues to cover global football stories and share his passion for the beautiful game.

Languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese

Meet All Our Experts
This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Read our
Privacy Policy
.