Manchester United are now in talks to sign a “world-class” striker, and they could use a first-team star as a makeweight in the negotiations, according to a report.
Man Utd's striker targets
It is becoming increasingly clear that Man United will pursue a new striker in the summer transfer window, given that Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee have just six goals between them in the Premier League this season.
The Red Devils have set their sights on a number of the Premier League’s best strikers, recently making contact over Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Matheus Cunha, whose agent is set to fly to England to continue discussions.
Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap is United’s top target, however, with the Englishman potentially set to be available on the cheap in the summer, given that his side are almost certain to be relegated to the Championship.
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Delap may be the priority target from within England, but there have also been reports that Napoli’s Victor Osimhen is at the top of Ruben Amorim’s list, with the Nigerian set to leave the Italian club at the end of the season.
According to a report from Italy (via Sport Witness), Man United are now in talks to seal a deal for Osimhen, who has a €70m (£60m) release clause in his contract, which is only available to clubs outside of Italy.
United are in discussions over a £60m agreement, but Hojlund is expected to be used as a makeweight in negotiations, so it is unclear how much money they will be putting on the table alongside the Dane, who would clear over £4m-a-year off their books in wages.
Juventus are also in the race for Osimhen, but they are unwilling to meet his high wage demands, and the fact the release clause doesn’t apply to Italian clubs could also pose an issue.
"World-class" Osimhen could be huge upgrade on Hojlund
The Nigeria international has been lauded as “world-class” by football writer Matt Barlow, and for good reason, having maintained a fantastic goalscoring record for both Napoli and Galatasaray over the past few seasons.
Season
Appearances
Goals
2022-23
39
31
2023-24
32
17
2024-25
32
28
Hojlund, on the other hand, has struggled in front of goal for quite some time, averaging just 0.38 goals per 90 over the past year, which places him in the 54th percentile, when compared to his positional peers.
It would be a shame to see the 22-year-old exit Old Trafford, given that he is still young, and as pointed out by Amorim, the lack of goals is a collective problem.
However, if using Hojlund in negotiations helps get a deal for Osimhen over the line, Man United should not hesitate.