Manchester United set to lose out on a “perfect” signing for Rúben Amorim as a £7 million contract has been offered to one of the club’s reported targets.
Manchester United’s persistent struggle to find a reliable source of goals remains a major issue ahead of the summer transfer window.
Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes have been the only consistent scorers in recent seasons, with Rashford hitting 30 goals in the 2022/23 campaign.
But with Rashford likely to depart following his loan spell at Aston Villa and Fernandes now playing a deeper role under Rúben Amorim, the team’s attacking threat looks increasingly fragile.
Rasmus Højlund has shown moments of promise but is still developing and may not be ready to shoulder the responsibility as the main striker. Joshua Zirkzee, meanwhile, seems more effective when operating behind a traditional number nine rather than leading the line himself.
With attacking reinforcements a clear priority, United have begun exploring their options, and Liam Delap has reportedly emerged as their top target.
United set to lose out on Gyokeres
While United press ahead with the race to sign Delap this summer amid intense competition from Chelsea, it is becoming increasingly likely that they will miss out on securing Viktor Gyökeres, who was once touted as a perfect transfer for Amorim.
According to Portugese outlet A Bola via Sport Witness, Arsenal have offered the player a contract worth around £7 million after tax to ‘seduce’ the player to sign for Mikel Arteta’s team this summer.
Although the report claims that Arsenal are yet to submit a formal bid to Amorim’s old club Sporting CP for the striker, all indications point to the notion that the London club are set to land the Swede this summer.
Sporting are in the midst of an intense league title battle with Benfica, with both sides sitting on 79 points with just one fixture left to play, and are also preparing to compete against their league rivals in the cup final on 25 May.
While they will not entertain offers prior to this final, it’s claimed that Arsenal will table a bid in the region of £60 million.
United see Gyökeres as too much of a risk
While Gyökeres may be an ideal signing for Amorim on paper, the club’s new transfer policy of signing younger players with Premier League experience deems the 26-year-old as too much of a risk.
Strikers with more European experience and games under their belt, such as Gyökeres and Victor Osimhen, are good immediate solutions to Amorim’s goalscoring issues.
However, the club’s finances are in tatters ahead of the summer window. Therefore, it is hard for United to justify spending the £60+ million transfer fee plus wages on players who are entering their late 20s.
With Delap’s release clause set at £30 million and the 22-year-old having several seasons of English football experience, including a successful Premier League campaign in 2024/25, United view the player as a much safer long-term option of a striker who can grow into a fantastic player at Old Trafford for a cheaper fee.
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