Manchester United’s search for a new striker to lead the line continues, and with a move for Benjamin Šeško still uncertain, the club may make a move for a French striker.
Manchester United are prioritising reinforcements in attack this summer after a disappointing 2024/25 campaign that saw them finish 15th in the Premier League. A lack of goals was a key contributor to their struggles.
Bruno Fernandes topped the scoring charts with 19 goals, followed by Alejandro Garnacho and Amad with 11 each. Rasmus Højlund added 10, but no other player reached double digits in all competitions, highlighting the urgent need for added firepower.
United acted quickly to reshape their attacking line, signing Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha for a combined fee of £127.5 million to address the lack of goals.
The pair scored 35 goals last season between them, just nine short of United’s entire club. Despite this, the search for a new number nine continues, and a whole list of strikers have been linked with potential moves. As the window goes on and strikers move elsewhere, the list of potential new strikers has narrowed down.
United have other options if Šeško turns down move
The two main clubs battling for Benjamin Šeško have narrowed down to United and Newcastle, as Alexander Isak’s future at the latter appears uncertain.
It’s seemingly Newcastle that have made the first move, with the club submitting an offer to RB Leipzig worth around £65.5 million plus around £4 million in add-ons.
With the departure of their star striker looking imminent, Newcastle have gone all in on the Slovenian, but United do have options for other strikers if a deal for Šeško falls through.
As reported by Foot Mercato, Randal Kolo-Muani could emerge as a target if Juventus fail to re-sign the French forward on another loan deal, with negotiations between the Turin side and PSG stalling in recent weeks.
With both Newcastle and United reportedly interested in the “complete” forward, if Šeško opts for a move to the North East, United would be in a strong position to secure the Frenchman.
Is Watkins being forgotten?
Despite not being a long-term solution for the Reds, Ollie Watkins could be an extremely important player for a couple of years before going back into a striker.
Watkins would undoubtedly be the safest option out of all the strikers linked with the club, as opposed to the young strikers with no Premier League experience, something Amorim has preferred, judging by his business so far.
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With Aston Villa needing to sell to comply with Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), United could get a player with a wealth of Premier League experience for Šeško.
The 29-year-old fits Amorim’s system perfectly, with Watkins often looking to run the channels and hold up the ball to bring potential teammates such as Cunha and Mbeumo into play, as seen by his 29 assists in the Premier League over the past three seasons.
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