Manchester United’s stance on signing Dominic Calvert-Lewin this summer has been explained amid Rúben Amorim’s hunt for a new striker.
Manchester United are on the hunt for a new striker this summer after Rúben Amorim’s squad failed to produce sufficient goals across all competitions last season.
With United netting 85 in their 60 fixtures in 2024/25, Bruno Fernandes finished as top scorer with 16, while Alejandro Garnacho and Amad scored 11 apiece and Rasmus Højlund contributed ten. No other player reached double figures.
United have already added left forward Matheus Cunha to their front line, who scored 15 in the Premier League last season, while Amorim’s side are also chasing 20-goal Bryan Mbeumo, who looks set to play on the right-hand side.
However, the head coach is also known to want a new centre-forward, but after Liam Delap signed for Chelsea and Viktor Gyökeres made his preference to sign for Arsenal clear, the club are having to look at alternative targets.
United linked with Premier League striker Calvert-Lewin
Across the summer window so far, a theme has emerged – Amorim wants to bring in players with Premier League experience.
With United tight on funds, the news that 28-year-old Dominic Calvert-Lewin would be leaving Everton and becoming a free agent this month has led some to suggest it may be a transfer worth considering for the Reds.
However, journalist Ben Jacobs has now confirmed to The United Stand that, due to his high wage demands, it is unlikely that United will look to secure a transfer this summer unless they are unable to secure a striker elsewhere.
“Calvert-Lewin’s wage demands are very high, and therefore it is unlikely that Man United will move in that direction unless the demands decrease or they have a hole in the squad later in the window,” Jacobs explained. “As a free agent, the player will be rigid on his demands.”
It’s worth signing Watkins over Calvert-Lewin
Although Calvert-Lewin has 239 Premier League appearances to his name, he is not a transfer worth gambling on for United, even if he is for free.
United need a reliable striker up front, and the English striker has too many injuries to his name. Instead, it may be worth United paying a significantly higher transfer fee to sign Ollie Watkins from Aston Villa.
Watkins is slightly over one year older than Calvert-Lewin, but has a significantly better proven track record in the Premier League, and would likely gel better with players such as Mbeumo and Cunha.
There are rumours that Villa want as much as £60 million for Watkins this summer, which is too high for United. However, considering his age and the limited resale value, there is a solid chance that Amorim’s side will be able to negotiate this down.
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