Gyökeres
Amorim’s ideal striker for his system, as communicated to those in the industry, is one who runs in behind repeatedly, and inevitably there is speculation around a reunion with Viktor Gyokeres, who is expected to leave Sporting CP after this campaign.
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Both Gyokeres and Hojlund also seem to do a lot of walking to save energy for the big sprints. The likeness is an indication that if Amorim can unlock Hojlund’s potential, he could have a centre-forward primed for his system.
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However, it is considered unlikely that Gyokeres follows Amorim to Old Trafford. The Swedish international wants to join a Champions League team and while that is possible for United through winning the Europa League, other more appealing propositions are expected to enter the bidding. Conversely, United would be reluctant to commit that type of money to a player who will turn 27 in June. The club’s strategy is to invest in younger signings.
Sesko
At 21 years old, Benjamin Sesko fits that profile, and United have consistently tracked him since having the opportunity to sign him from Slovenian side Domzale for €2million in 2018. United held talks over Sesko in Erik ten Hag’s first summer in 2022, but he did not feel ready to take on the mantle at Old Trafford, and they tried again last year, only for him to sign a new contract at RB Leipzig.
Sesko’s anticipated fee, and Arsenal’s interest, would be a complicating factor for United, who are in the process of making more redundancies among staff at the club, potentially as many as 200. The football department is expected to be hit, an area former sporting director Dan Ashworth was reluctant to cut, bringing him into dispute with co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
PSR
United do have more flexibility on financial regulations due to shedding the £115.5million loss from 2021-22 in the next three-year cycle but have stated on record they are “in danger of failing to comply with PSR (profit and sustainability rules) /FFP (Financial Fair Play) requirements” due to consistently being in the red.
United’s transfer spending last summer was only made possible by a £200m drawdown on their revolving credit facility, while the club still owe a net figure of £319m in transfer fee instalments. Whatever plans are enacted on cost-cutting, the main reason for United’s heavy losses is excessive spending on players.
Delap
In that light, a more plausible target is Liam Delap, who is likely to come under further discussion at United after his breakout season for Ipswich Town.
It is expected Delap’s price will come down should Ipswich get relegated, moving more into United’s range, but they would face serious competition from Chelsea, who have expressed their interest to Ipswich.
It can be revealed City inserted a £40million buyback clause in the deal taking Delap to Portman Road for a potential £20m last summer, so that could be a factor, or a gauge of fee, in the anticipated pursuit of his signature.
Academy
In the academy, Chido Obi is a quintessential striker and stands out at youth level. He scored a hat-trick in the 5-1 FA Youth Cup against Chelsea on Wednesday to take his campaign total to 12 goals in 12 games after signing from Arsenal.
Others
United have also scouted Bryan Mbeumo, the most recent time being for Brentford’s game against Tottenham Hotspur on February 2. Mbeumo, 25, is having the most productive campaign of his career, scoring 14 goals in 24 Premier League games, and will have one year left on his contract in June, although Brentford have the option to extend to 2027. It is felt with the security of those two years remaining on his deal, Brentford would look for a club-record sale.
Most of Mbeumo’s minutes have come at right wing, though, with centre-forward starts on five occasions. He has scored on four of those, against Tottenham, West Ham United, Arsenal and Chelsea, but typically playing alongside a strike partner rather than solo.
Kane is very happy and settled in Germany, where he has scored 73 goals and registered 22 assists in 74 games in all competitions. He is in contention to win the Bundesliga and make another deep run in the Champions League, having reached the semi-finals last season. Kane, 31, would only depart Bayern for a Champions League team, and his focus currently is on winning trophies in Bavaria.
In any case, it would be a major about-turn for United under this regime to go for a player in that age bracket.
For instance, there were never any meaningful talks over Ivan Toney last summer, despite his availability and his name being discussed internally. Toney, 28, moved to Saudi Pro League side Al Ahli for €40million.
Kane scored at Celtic Park on Wednesday, his seventh in the Champions League this season, behind Borussia Dortmun’s Serhou Guirassy, who is the competition’s leading scorer with 10.
Guirassy was an option for United in January 2024, but the club decided a €17.5million release clause was too much for a 27-year-old who had not hit such form before in his career. Dortmund triggered his exit from Stuttgart last summer and he has since hit 19 goals in 28 games overall.
The life of a striker is rarely steady. Evan Ferguson’s loan move from Brighton & Hove Albion to West Ham is a case of a 20-year-old player looking for a fresh setting to reignite his major talent. A player United have tracked, he did not come up in talks this January.
Given United’s financial position, there might be a temptation to look at the free agency market, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin, 27, and Jamie Vardy, 38, both out of contract in the summer. That, though, would go against the plan for youth.
Age did not seem to matter during Sporting’s first title triumph under Amorim. The striking duties were largely shared by Tiago Tomas, 19 at the time, and Paulinho, who was 28.
Bayer Leverkusen’s Victor Boniface, 24 (who ranks as a 94.6 per cent playing likeness to Gyokeres based on analysis run by The Athletic), Victor Osimhen, 26 and on loan at Galatasaray from Napoli (86.7 per cent), and Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic, 25, could all be on the move this summer, but expected fees and salaries do not appear to correlate with United’s means.
Still a normal haircut