Victor Osimhen cut a hugely frustrated figure as Galatasaray did their level best to throw away a three-goal lead in their knockout play-off tie on Wednesday night against the ten men of Juventus.

Even the Nigerian superstar’s extra-time goal which helped secure safe passage to the last 16 before Baris Alper Yilmaz confirmed their progression did little to curb the irritation he voiced after the game.

Osimhentold CBS Sports: “I prepare my teammate before we step on the pitch; I let them know how it is to come to Turin to try to get a win. I’ve played here also, and I know how difficult it is.

“I think some of them are kind of timid, and I try to motivate them and do the best I can. I cannot do it alone. I try to motivate them. I think some of them are kind of scared with the crowd and, of course, the way Juventus are playing.

“For me, we have a lot to improve on. When I try to speak, some of them tend not to listen. I just keep it going.”

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A response to victory which speaks to Osimhen’s status as a leader and a winner as well as an outstanding striker, who’s now scored 53 goals in 65 appearances for the Turkish giants after 76 in 133 games for Napoli.

There are few more consistent goalscorers in Europe and it’s impossible to watch him on the big stage and not wonder why a) he agreed to a permanent move to Galatasaray, and b) why the top Premier League clubs in the market for a striker in the summer weren’t all scrambling to beat their opponents to his signing.

Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United all paid similar fees for new striker additions and while the virtues of Viktor Gyokeres, Joao Pedro and Benjamin Sesko have been extolled of late, it’s hard to imagine their bids for respective targets this season not being boosted by Osimhen leading the line.

Reports suggested the 27-year-old’s wage demands and his age in comparison to the alternatives were contributing factors in him being snubbed; valid if unconvincing reasons. The grounds for Manchester United not pursuing him and instead signing Rasmus Hojlund in the summer of 2023 however is laughable.

Osimhen had just fired Napoli to a first league title in 33 years with 26 league goals and attracting the attention of the European elite.

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Benni McCarthy, who was part of the Old Trafford staff under Erik ten Hag, was playing a role in the recruitment of a new striker and recommended Osimhen as the “perfect fit” for the Red Devils. If only he wasn’t African.

“If you spend ￡100m on a player, you don’t want to lose him for Afcon,” McCarthy told the BBC World Service.

“I think he would have been very successful there. But it [Afcon] was a big stumbling block.

“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.”

The same absurd logic would have denied Liverpool the 373 goal contributions of Mohamed Salah and presumably any Premier League titles. A Didier Drogba-less Chelsea would have a half-empty trophy cabinet and one less Champions League.

United no longer limit their transfers in such a way and are benefitting from their multicultural approach through the outstanding contributions of Cameroon international Bryan Mbeumo this season.

Sure, avoiding multiple African signings to avoid a hugely depleted squad during AFCON makes sense, but denying yourself a player who would have been one of two on the books had they signed him because they will miss half a dozen games every two seasons is pure lunacy.

It’s a foolhardy blunder which United have counted the cost of for the last two-and-a-half seasons, during which time Osimhen has scored league goals at a rate of one every 105 minutes while Hojlund struck every 298 minutes for the Red Devils.