Manchester United’s search for a striker continues, and it looks like there are no centre-forwards off the table this summer transfer window.
Manchester United will be desperate to strengthen their forward line this summer following their dismal 2024/25 campaign which saw them finish a lowly 15th in the Premier League.
United’s two strikers, Rasmus Højlund and Joshua Zirkzee combined for a measly seven goals across a combined 3,400 minutes in the Premier League which is simply not good enough for any club, let alone Manchester United.
To remedy this, the club have acted fast in the window, signing Matheus Cunha for £62.5 million, and seemingly being days away from sealing the signing of Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford.
The two names that were high up on United list to lead the line next season were Liam Delap and Viktor Gyokeres. The former has now signed for Chelsea, and while there are positive signs in a deal for the latter, there are certainly no guarantees about a move.
United’s striker transfer strategy
United recently reshuffled the structure of the club, with Jason Wilcox taking the mantle as the club’s director of football, giving some clarity in the structure of the club. Wilcox, along with recruitment director, Christopher Vivell have structured the strategy for United’s transfer window.
Speaking to United in Focus, transfer insider Graeme Bailey said that the pair are looking at every available striker in Europe, including the likes of Moise Kean and Tammy Abraham.
“Amorim wants that integral figure to lead the line and Wilcox wants to deliver that. Amorim’s former player, Viktor Gyokeres is on their radar and talks have been held, as they have been for Victor Osimhen too – who has turned down Saudi Arabia, as he is keen on England.”
Dusan Vlahovic has also emerged as a serious target for United, with Bailey saying that “the appeal of him is that he could move for just £20 million this summer.”
He concluded: “There is not an available striker in Europe, that Wilcox and Vivell are not aware of.”
What’s next for United’s current strikers?
After a poor season for the duo, neither Højlund or Zirkzee are guaranteed to still be playing football at Old Trafford next season.
A move for the Danish forward has been much more publicised than Zirkzee, with a move back to the Serie A being widely rumoured, as the club believe they could still recoup a decent amount of money from their investment.
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Zirkzee on the other hand was linked with a move back to Bologna, but those rumours have gotten more and more quiet as of late. His performances before his injury towards the back of the season showed some promise, but many believe he would work better as as one of the no.10s rather than an out and out striker.
Whether one or both of these players stays, it’s still critical that United invest in a new striker, so that both Højlund and Zirkzee can act as they were signed for, to act as understudies to a more experienced striker while they develop.
With the importance of this position, it’s good to see that United aren’t cutting corners and are doing plenty of research into these forwards to get this critical position right.
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