Manchester United hit the ground at the end of the season, and they hit it hard, but Ruben Amorim is set on bringing Old Trafford back to the forefront of European football.
It bears testament to United’s stature in the Premier League that after finishing 15th and losing to Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final, Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Matheus Cunha has signed for a £62.5m fee after rejecting interest from Champions League-qualified clubs like Arsenal and Newcastle United.
Moreover, Bryan Mbeumo wants to join Amorim’s side this summer despite interest from the aforementioned outfits, though INEOS are locked in a battle to get that one over the line, with Brentford standing firm on their £60m valuation.
But the Red Devils still need a centre-forward, and no mistake. Rasmus Hojlund struggled last season, scoring only four times in the Premier League.
If Man United are to pick themselves back up, they need a focal frontman who will provide a steady source of goals.
Man Utd's striker search
Last month, Chelsea signed Liam Delap from relegated Ipswich Town after meeting his £30m release clause. There was a wealth of intrigue in the forward’s signature, and Man United were among the interested parties, but their lack of continental football ended what might otherwise have ended positively for Amorim.
In any case, the plan is still to sell Hojlund, who is being targeted by Inter Milan in Italy, two years after leaving Serie A to join the Manchester side in a £72m deal.
With Delap off the cards, who should United turn to? Well, Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike has emerged as a target for Jason Wilcox to mull over, while Amorim would like nothing more than to reunite with Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres, though the Sweden striker is intent on joining Arsenal.
However, given that signings are needed across other areas even after the frontline has been restored, United might want to delve down a shrewder road, sign a number nine for a cut-price fee.
Well, there might just be such a forward on the market whose style of play has been drawn against Romelu Lukaku’s – worth a shot?
Man Utd make contact for Hojlund upgrade
As per Spanish reports, Manchester United are in the running for Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic as the Italian giants look to part ways with their star striker.
There’s plenty of interest in his services, although Man United and Newcastle United have been singled out for having already opened talks to make an enquiry.
Undergoing some financial adjustments, the Old Lady have never quite realised Vlahovic’s full potential after an incredible start to life in Italy with Fiorentina, who he left for Turin three-and-a-half years ago in a deal worth around £67m.
Earning around £315k per week, Sir Jim Ratcliffe will no doubt look to reduce the Serbian’s earnings, although given that Vlahovic is reportedly available for a cut-price £25m figure, this might just check out. Nottingham Forest, it must be said, are also interested.
Why Man Utd want Dusan Vlahovic
When Juventus paid Fiorentina the big bucks to sign Vlahovic, they bagged themselves one of the most exciting attacking prospects in the world.
24/25
Juventus
29 (21)
10
4
23/24
Juventus
33 (27)
16
3
22/23
Juventus
27 (22)
10
2
21/22
Juventus
15 (12)
7
1
21/22
Fiorentina
21 (21)
17
4
20/21
Fiorentina
37 (34)
21
2
Still only 25, the Serbia international hasn’t matched that La Viola opening in Italy and needs to move on, especially as he’s entering the final year of his current deal.
Once described as a “real superstar” by reporter Andrew Cesare, Vlahovic indeed needs a change of setting to restore his reputation as one of the most effective strikers in the business, but there’s still plenty to like.
As per FBref, the powerful forward ranked among the top 11% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues last year for shots taken and the top 10% for touches in the attacking box per 90, highlighting his innate predatory instinct.
It also saw Napoli’s Lukaku pulled out as one of his most statistically comparable players, and if Man United can secure their next version of the Belgian star, they might just make real progress next season.
Lukaku is one of the best-known and most prolific goalscorers of his generation, having played for a wealth of outfits – including Man United, who paid at least £75m to sign him from Everton back in 2017.
The 32-year-old, who stands at 6 foot 3, scored 42 goals and added 12 assists across 96 outings for the club, leaving after just two seasons.
However, his strength and explosiveness are elements that have seen him become a sensation in Italian football, instrumental in helping his Neapolitan team toward the Scudetto, posting 14 goals and ten assists.
It bears testament to Vlahovic’s underlying qualities that he’s still been likened to the Belgium international in spite of what has been perceived as a middling campaign.
Talent scout Jacek Kulig knows that he is “incredibly prolific” at his best, and maybe even a “future legend” in the same manner as Lukaku, who has left his mark on the game for sure.
Across two of the past three seasons, Vlahovic has only returned ten goals in Serie A. Even so, he started 22 and 21 times respectively, which bespeaks his natural instinct in front of goal.
Let us turn toward the signing of Cunha and the deal being pursued for Mbeumo. Such dynamic wide forwards will be sure to bring Vlahovic back to a higher level, charging him with a supply line while also using their goalscoring abilities to ease the nine’s striking burden.
For just £25m, this is a shrewd deal that United need to get over the line.
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1 ByEthan Lamb