Manchester United’s pursuit for an out-and-out striker has been well documented, with seemingly every potentially available striker being on the club’s list of targets.
Manchester United‘s aim to add much-needed firepower to its squad this summer continues following a disappointing 2024/25 campaign that saw the team finish 15th in the Premier League. A lack of goals proved to be a major issue throughout the season.
Bruno Fernandes topped the club’s scoring charts with 19 goals, followed by Alejandro Garnacho and Amad, who netted 11 each. Rasmus Højlund added 10, but no other player reached double figures across all competitions.
Despite the early signing of Matheus Cunha for £62.5 million, signings have stalled after that, as United’s pursuit of Bryan Mbeumo continues, with the club reportedly submitting a third bid for the Cameroonian.
At the same time, the search for a new centre-forward continues. While Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyökeres had been a key target, the Swedish striker now appears to prefer a move to Arsenal, prompting United to explore alternative options in the market.
United keeping a close eye on Vlahovic situation
Ruben Amorim is desperate to add firepower to his starting XI, but finding the right man—and crucially, the right price—has proven to be difficult.
Juventus striker Dušan Vlahović is one of those names on the shortlist, and with Juventus’ recent signing of Jonathan David, is seemingly on his way out of the club.
As reported by Corriere dello Sport, the Serbian’s agent is to meet with the Juventus hierarchy to negotiate a deal to end his time with the Turin club, with talks set to be centred around a severance package that suits the striker.
With these circumstances in mind, there may be an opportunity for United to negotiate a cut-price fee for the player who scored over 50 goals across three seasons at Juventus. INEOS will be keeping tabs on the situation, with the potential move gathering pace relatively quickly once the scheduled meeting is concluded.
Would Vlahović work at United?
Known for his strength and physical presence during his time at Fiorentina and Juventus, the Serbian striker appears to be an ideal fit for United, particularly given the physical demands of the Premier League.
Although the 25-year-old hasn’t fully met expectations since his £60 million move from Florence to Turin, he still has time to rediscover the form that earned him Serie A’s Young Player of the Season award.
Like with any potential move for a high-profile striker, wages will be a sticking point for a deal, and with United looking to restructure their weekly wage bill, the Serbian would most likely have to take a substantial pay cut from his current estimated £320,000 per week.
With Jadon Sancho likely on his way to Juventus, there is also the chance of a straight swap between the two clubs, as it would work out for both clubs that want to cut ties with their want-away players.
Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is streamed live every Thursday at 12:30 pm (BST) on the United View YouTube channel.