Benni McCarthy Backed on Why Manchester United Passed on Victor Osimhen

Veteran South African journalist Thomas Kwenaite has weighed in on comments from former Manchester United coach Benni McCarthy, who suggested the club passed on signing Victor Osimhen due to his Africa Cup of Nations commitments.

Benni McCarthy, who served as a first-team coach at Old Trafford, recently explained that the timing of the AFCON tournament was a major factor in United's decision not to pursue the highly-rated Nigerian striker, despite their interest.

"If you spend 100m pounds on a player, you don't want to lose him for Afcon," McCarthy stated. "It (Afcon) was a big stumbling block."

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He elaborated on the impact such an absence would have on the team, saying, "Losing him for so many important matches, the team suffers not having the main striker there. 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."

Responding to this, Kwenaite argued that Manchester United's hesitation to sign African players is not a new phenomenon, citing the club's historical transfer policies.

Speaking on SuperSport's 'Soccer Africa' program, Kwenaite highlighted a broader trend among top European clubs regarding players who participate in the continental tournament.

"Manchester United have made it known in the past that they are reluctant to sign African players because at the most critical stage of the championship, they will have to release those players to go and represent their countries at the Africa Cup of Nations," Kwenaite stated.

He pointed to former South African international Quinton Fortune as one of the few exceptions to this unwritten rule at the club.

"Except for Quinton Fortune, he's the lucky one who managed to play for Manchester United, and they had to release him," Kwenaite added.

Victor Osimhen became one of the world's most sought-after forwards after leading Napoli to a historic Serie A title with 26 league goals. Manchester United were heavily linked with him before ultimately signing Danish striker Rasmus Hojlund.