Manchester United still have obvious striker options to target in the transfer window

Manchester United still have obvious striker options to target in the transfer window

Liam Delap is long gone, it won't be Viktor Gyokeres and it won't be Hugo Ekitike up front for Man United but there are obvious options already in the Premier League.

Cunha arrives in Chicago

Ruben Amorim sits at the front of the Manchester United team bus. This is a season that demands a start on the front foot.

The opening fixture against Arsenal at Old Trafford will evoke memories for many United fans of the sun-kissed 4-1 thrashing of the champions in 1989. United invested strikingly that summer, too, yet lost three of their first five matches.

After Arsenal visit, United are at Manchester City and host Chelsea in September. David Moyes complained that the fixture computer had pitted United against Chelsea, Liverpool and City in his first five fixtures. That defeatist attitude was one of innumerable reasons why he was always ill-suited to United.

Amorim’s first full season begins similarly (Liverpool are also lurking around the corner in October). United were actually unbeaten in three games with City last season, two of their best performances were against Arsenal and they narrowly lost at Chelsea five days before the Europa League final.

United will not look markedly different when they line-up against Arsenal. The best-case scenario is there will be three new starting signings: Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and a new striker. The sight of his former Sporting Lisbon striker Viktor Gyokeres with a cannon stitched to his shirt rather than a devil may cause Amorim to drop to his haunches sooner than usual.

Gyokeres was never a realistic target. The top-tier strikers on the market want to stay or play in the Champions League. United do not have the clout or wherewithal to move for Gyokeres or Alexander Isak. There was concrete competition for Cunha and Mbeumo but United were never going to be a tough sell for players at Wolves and Brentford.

Every Premier League club last season possessed a superior striker to United, bar sorry Southampton. Southampton looked at signing Rasmus Hojlund a year before he joined United.

Jason Wilcox, United’s director of football, has overseen a shift to focus on Premier League recruits after United bought only one senior player from a Premier League club in nearly six years. At the time of writing, Ollie Watkins and Jean-Philippe Mateta are realistic options who would fit the bill up front: two centre forwards in their late 20s whose value is bound to dwindle after this summer.

Unai Emery’s curious handling of Watkins when Marcus Rashford was on loan at Aston Villa piqued the striker. Mateta caused United plenty of grief at Selhurst Park and Old Trafford in two memorable Palace victories.

Watkins has never broken the 20-goal barrier for Villa, though. Mateta hasn’t for Crystal Palace, either. It would be a stretch to bill either as 'proven'. They would still have a worthy support cast of Cunha, Mbeumo, Amad, Bruno Fernandes et al. and represent an upgrade on Hojlund.

Mateta scored twice at Old Trafford last season

After successive seasons where they recorded a minus goal difference and their worst campaign in 51 years, United need a frontman they can get behind. That extends to the players, too. Plenty have always been unconvinced by Hojlund, a signing destined to fail through his exorbitant £72million fee and ties to Erik ten Hag’s agent, Kees Vos.

Between the sticks is a goalkeeper lacking confidence from supporters. Andre Onana is set to continue as No.1 by default as United have focused their investments at the top end of the pitch.

Onana is at least shielded by a quintet of centre backs with a promising blend of youth and experience. United signed a centre half in seven of the past nine summer transfer windows. They will not be acquiring one this summer and what has been one of their weakest areas of the squad in recent years is now one of their strongest.

De Ligt and Yoro are likely to start the season

Leny Yoro has found his feet, Harry Maguire has become a captain without the armband, Ayden Heaven has been a revelation and Matthijs de Ligt looked to have got to grips with the Premier League before injury. Lisandro Martinez - when he has recovered from injury - could be more influential in Amorim’s back three than he was for Ten Hag.

There is a potential midfield minefield, though. Bruno Fernandes seems likely to be permanently relocated to a deeper role and you could play him in goal and he would still be the most influential player in the United side.

But beyond him there are glaring issues. Manuel Ugarte’s form towards the end of last season was so poor he was benched for the Europa League final. Casemiro’s good form was reserved almost exclusively for the Europa League, so he could become redundant with no European football. Kobbie Mainoo has been primarily recognised by Ruben Amorim as a playmaker and Toby Collyer has started three games in his career against teams from League 1, Scotland and Romania.

United line up in Stockholm on Saturday

United would like to strengthen in midfield but the issue is the unshiftable Casemiro. Sources say four different figures were given mandates to sell him yet he seems certain to see out the final year of his United contract.

Casemiro is valued at £15million and, realistically, no club is forking out that fee for a 33-year-old who will be free to negotiate a pre-contract agreement in January. Casemiro has regained his place in the Brazil squad after an 18-month exile but it helps matters that his former Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti is in charge.

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United have valuable assets in midfield in Fernandes and Mainoo but the former rejected the opportunity to move to Saudi Arabia. The concern would be that United could cash in on Mainoo if a late bid comes in and frees up funds.

Mainoo came on in Sweden

There would be parallels with Scott McTominay, only this time last year Fulham’s interest in McTominay and United’s interest in Ugarte were well documented. McTominay was a sellable asset and always seemed likely to leave.

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Mainoo’s future is uncertain but there has not been a lot of noise around him so far this summer. His contract has a maximum expiry date of 2028 but he rejected United’s initial proposal of a renewal at the start of the year and it has been quiet on that front.

Realistically, United could get through a lighter season with the aforementioned midfield quintet. A new midfielder should be at the top of the shopping list in 12 months.

Patrick Dorgu and Diego Leon are imperfect options on the left wing but there are senior auxiliary alternatives. Mbeumo has to operate on the right-hand side, a problem position that United have struggled to solve for upwards of a decade. Mbeumo represents the best of both worlds in that he is adept at attacking and defending but United have to play to his strengths after a 20-goal season.

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Mbeumo was on the plane to Chicago

Senior figures at United are targeting a top six finish. That is not pie-in-the-sky stuff when recent history shows clubs have shot up the table without European commitments. Newcastle United nabbed Champions League qualification in 2023 and 2025. Liverpool nearly won the league in 2014. Leicester City did win the league in 2016. So did Chelsea a year later.

The exception is United. The last time they were out of Europe, they scraped fourth under Louis van Gaal in 2014-15, winning one of their final six fixtures. Van Gaal’s tenure got off to a startling start with defeat to Swansea City.

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He was never one to play on the front foot, though.

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