Manchester United want a new striker. In other news, water is wet.
The Red Devils have been searching the globe for their next goalscoring sensation, and there have been plenty of links to the usual suspects: Viktor Gyökeres, Victor Osimhen, Benjamin Šeško—the list goes on.
As days continue to pass, United appear to be casting their net even wider. Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins has been touted as a suitor and reports have even named former Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin as a possible option. If United are prepared to get creative, there are a whole host of strikers worthy of consideration by those calling the shots at Old Trafford.
Here are six potential targets for United over the remainder of the transfer window.
Ah, a striker from Atalanta. What could go wrong?
United paid for potential when they signed Rasmus Højlund from the Serie A side in a deal worth up to £72 million ($98.2 million) in 2023. The Red Devils had watched him score 10 goals in 34 games across the previous season and decided to jump. Mateo Retegui, for comparison, just hit 28 goals in his debut year with Atalanta.
A relative nobody when he was playing in Argentina just two years ago, Retegui has taken Europe by storm since making the move. The 26-year-old has displayed ruthless efficiency in front of goal and a fascinating combination of skills which have led to both goals and assists in his two years in Italy.
While Retegui impresses with his movement, link-up play and deceptive aerial prowess, his stand-out attribute is his finishing. The guy just scores goals, it’s as simple as that. There is no waiting and hoping that he’ll come good. He already is.
Scouts across Europe have sat back and watched Serhou Guirassy score at an impressive rate for a number of years now. He’s been getting his moves—four clubs in six years—but appears to have finally caught the attention of the elite thanks to his time with Borussia Dortmund.
A hat-trick against Barcelona helped Guirassy finish as this season’s joint-top scorer in the Champions League with 13 goals which, when added to 21 in the Bundesliga and four at the Club World Cup, takes his return to 38 in 50 games across all competitions. You simply cannot ignore that.
At 29 years old, it’s not hard to see an obvious flaw when suggesting an expensive move for Guirassy. He hardly lines up with United’s rebuilding timeline, but that should not be an issue. They need a goalscorer—somebody who can simply put the ball in the back of the net, like a Robert Lewandowski or a Harry Kane who, for what it’s worth, are still banging in the goals regardless of their advanced years.
Guirassy isn’t a highlight name and he’s hardly going to generate the sort of hype we’ve come to expect from United’s signings, but that just might not be a bad thing. He lets his football do the talking.
Vangelis Pavlidis is, like Guirassy, another striker who manages to hide from the spotlight. After four solid years in the Eredivisie, he exploded with 33 goals in 46 games with AZ Alkmaar in 2023–24 and earned a €20 million (£17.3 million, $23.6 million) move to Benfica.
During his time in Portugal, not only has Pavlidis impressed with his return of 30 goals and 13 assists in his debut season, but the manner in which he has racked up those numbers has been nothing short of astonishing.
You get nearly everything with Pavlidis. He’s a goal machine, a willing runner, an aerial threat and a dangerous creator with the physicality typically needed to compete in the Premier League. The 26-year-old is as happy running down the wing as he is holding the ball up against defenders or bulldozing his way through on goal. Pavlidis would be United’s central striker but would thrive rotating around Matheus Cunha and, presumably, Bryan Mbeumo.
Benfica know what they have in Pavlidis, who comes with a release clause of €100 million (£86.3 million, $117.8 million). Negotiating Benfica down is never easy but, in this case, any efforts would be extremely worthwhile.
The towering Simon Banza can be a little raw at times which, at nearly 29 years old, is not always ideal, but what you get from him makes him worth considering.
Where Banza impresses most is his attacking intelligence. He’s one of those forwards who seems to always know where the ball is going to land and what touch is needed to send it into the back of the net. There’s a touch of Erling Haaland about him, both physically and technically.
Banza netted 21 goals in 28 games for Braga in 2023–24 and then went one better on loan with Trabzonspor, highlighting a skill set which translates into new environments. In other words, he’s a proven goalscorer.
A reliable option with a comparatively cheap price tag, Banza would be a smart signing for nearly any side in the Premier League.
If United want a striker they can be overwhelmingly confident will score goals in England’s top flight, it’s time to take a closer look at Jean-Philippe Mateta of Crystal Palace.
Spearheading a hot-and-cold Palace side, Mateta netted 14 goals last season. Obviously, that is not comparable to the sky-high numbers fans might like, but it’s the return of a striker who knows what it takes to hold his own in the Premier League—a feeling the Red Devils may have forgotten at this point.
Mateta is an intelligent mover whose best form has come in a 3-4-2-1 formation under Oliver Glasner. He works best in a setup which surrounds him by bodies and wants to run in behind, rather than play with his back to goal.
Ruben Amorim can offer much of the same to Mateta at Old Trafford and, as he has just one year left on his contract, may not have to break the bank to reap the rewards.
There’s a bit of a gamble about Promise David, who was playing in Estonia as recently as 2023–24 and has just one season in Belgium’s top flight to his name, but the Canada international has done enough to warrant a place in this conversation.
A physical powerhouse standing at 6’5, it doesn’t take a genius to highlight David’s strengths, but what makes him so intriguing is his ability to combine his frame with a mobility that is rarely seen among similar forwards. The 24-year-old is shockingly fast and often plays as though he has forgotten he’s a walking skyscraper, bringing nimble ball control and a smart eye for a pass.
David has made the seamless transition from Estonia to Belgium. Expecting him to do the same in the Premier League may be a step too far at this stage but, as his name might suggest, there is plenty of promise to David’s game and he feels exactly like the kind of striker who is one Brighton move away from being worth an astronomical fee.
Can United afford to give him time to adjust? Perhaps not, but the help of another senior addition to help alleviate the pressure could bring the best out of David.
