With a deal for Bryan Mbeumo finally agreed, Manchester United will be able to move on and go after their other transfer targets, with Ruben Amorim stressing the need for a natural number nine.
Manchester United’s push to bolster their attacking options remains a top priority this summer, following a disappointing 2024/25 season that ended with a 15th-place finish in the Premier League, and the lack of goals was a major factor.
Bruno Fernandes led the club’s scoring with 19 goals, while Alejandro Garnacho and Amad followed with 11 apiece. Rasmus Højlund chipped in with 10, but no other player reached double figures across all competitions, underlining the need for greater firepower.
United moved early to secure the £62.5 million signing of Matheus Cunha, before moving onto the pursuit of Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo, with the London-based side accepting an offer of £65 million plus a further £6 million in add-ons.
The search for a new centre-forward however, continues. Former top target Viktor Gyökeres of Sporting CP now appears to favour a move to Arsenal, forcing United to reassess their options in the striker market.
Kolo Muani re-emerges as a target
According to Footmercato, United are stepping up their interest in current Paris Saint-Germain centre-forward, Randal Kolo Muani this summer.
The 26-year-old has made himself an attractive proposition for any club in for a striker, after discovering good form out on loan at Juventus for the second half of the season, scoring eight goals in 16 Serie A games, as well as two in three at the Club World Cup.
Now back in the French capital, the club are expected to allow Kolo Muani to leave permanently, but United would face competition from another Premier League club in Newcastle after their failed pursuit for Hugo Ekitike.
Other reports state that PSG would be willing to sell Kolo Muani for a fee of around £35 million.
Moving away from Amorim’s preferred strategy
So far this summer, United have prioritised players with Premier league experience as they are less of a risk when signing. While having experience in Germany, France and now Italy, Kolo Muani has been inconsistent across those leagues, so there’s no guarantee he would work out in such a physical league like the Premier League
There is no doubt however, that he embodies what is a ‘modern nine’, with his power, technical finesse and unselfishness all being valuable assets to have as a striker, and is something that Amorim could certainly do with.
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With the additions of Cunha and Mbeumo, United will be hoping to create more chances for strikers, and make it easier for any potential new forward to be able to settle at the club. There is also the fact that both of United’s new signings are prolific in front of goal, meaning there won’t be as much pressure on a new striker to score all the goals, as there was for Rasmus Højlund and Joshua Zirkzee.
Kolo Muani’s situation is set to be complicated, so United will be able to pursue any other potential options, and could circle back to him towards the end of the transfer window if they need to.
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