Rio Ferdinand has already warned Liverpool over Victor Osimhen ‘risk’ amid ‘agreement’ claims

Rio Ferdinand believes there would be a ‘risk’ involved in signing Victor Osimhen amid links between Liverpool and the Napoli striker. Osimhen faces an intriguing future having established himself as one of the best strikers in world football.

The Napoli frontman was linked with Manchester United in the summer, but the Serie A club were not interested in allowing him to leave, and plenty has happened since then. While Osimhen is happy in Naples, he fell out with some at the club when the social media team posted a TikTok mocking his appeals for a penalty during a fixture earlier this season.

Napoli have Osimhen under contract until 2025, but they will want to agree a new contract to strengthen their hold - or indeed their negotiating position. According to reports in Italy, Osimhen may have held out on contract talks to agree personal terms with Liverpool.

“The parties [Napoli and Osimhen] had reached an agreement for the renewal, but then [Osimhen’s agent Roberto] Calenda and Osimhen went back on their word,” reported Italian journalist Valter De Maggio over the weekend. “What happened? There was the inclusion of another club, from the Premier League. I’m talking about Liverpool.

“There would be frequent contacts, but I just learned something else: there would be agreements already reached. Let me clarify: the agreements would be between the Reds and the player, therefore they would not involve Napoli. I hope [Napoli owner Aurelio De] Laurentiis will be able to keep Victor Osimhen at least until June, but we can’t be sure.”

Fabrizio Romano has rebuffed those claims, adding: “ Some media is reporting that Victor Osimhen already agreed contract terms with Liverpool,” said Romano. “Guys from what I’m told, Victor Osimhen hasn’t agreed anything with any club – not even with Napoli.

“There’s no agreement on the contract extension. Napoli made a really important proposal to Osimhen, in terms of contract, very important salary, the biggest in Napoli history is on the table for Osimhen. But he has not decided and he has not agreed anything with any club. So Osimhen will take his time. Reports of an agreement with Liverpool are not true. For sure, Liverpool and many other clubs are keeping an eye on the situation of many strikers. But at the moment for Osimhen, nothing is agreed and nothing is decided.”

Osimhen would be a hugely popular signing for Liverpool, even if they would need to spend well over £100million, but when the striker was being linked with United during the summer, former Red Devil turned pundit Ferdinand pointed out the risk factor in signing him.

“Osimhen is a different kettle of fish,” Ferdinand said on his podcast. “He’s 24, he’s scored goals in France and now in Italy. Won the league (in Italy) and knows how to win leagues. He’s been a No.9 at a dominant team in the football league. Is that transferable to the Premier League? No one knows that. That’s the chance United would have to take on him.

“That’s the only risk I see. He doesn’t know the league - that’s it. Ability wise and profile, goalscoring, he ticks every box, but there is an unknown factor in does he know how to play in the Premier League? Can he adapt to the Premier League? But I wouldn’t see that as a big risk.”