With Hojlund exit on the cards, United race to find Amorim’s desired striker

Manchester United are finally beginning to shift their focus towards signing a striker who can boost Ruben Amorim’s chances of success.

Ollie Watkins, Benjamin Sesko, Jean-Philippe Mateta, and Nicolas Jackson have all been linked with the club in the past 48 hours.

Sources suggest this flurry of names reflects a growing intent to finally provide Amorim with what he truly needs.

As we reported recently, Amorim began pre-season without the new No.9 or goalkeeper he has been craving.

The wait for a keeper will continue, but there is renewed optimism around the striker position, after United submitted what is expected to be their final bid for Brentford’s attacker Bryan Mbeumo.

Insiders have shared the latest developments surrounding some of the forwards who are under consideration.

Affordable targets?

It is understood that United currently lack the funds to make any signing above £40 million. However, any future player sales would be used to supplement the transfer budget.

Representatives of Aston Villa’s Watkins have been informally sounded out by third-party agents to gauge his openness to a move. Initial feedback is believed to have been positive, though United are not currently in a position to pursue a deal.

Sesko, meanwhile, has been ruled out for the time being. While RB Leipzig’s forward has been the subject of scouting reports, there are doubts over how well he fits the style of play Amorim is aiming to implement.

Mateta continues to be viewed as an affordable and realistic target, with suggestions a deal could be struck in the region of £30–35 million. However, Crystal Palace are working hard to keep hold of him.

Jackson is considered an intriguing option, and there is some truth to recent links. At this stage, though, United are unwilling to meet Chelsea’s £60 million valuation. The variety of challenges that wait ahead in this striker search seems clear.

Interestingly, it is worth noting Christopher Nkunku has also reemerged as a target this summer, and there are suggestions that fresh talks may have taken place recently.

What's the situation in attack?

United are actively exploring the possibility of offloading Rasmus Hojlund - and remain hopeful of securing a new striker before the transfer window closes.

Should their search continue into the latter stages of the window, it is not viewed as a crisis. Amorim could utilise Joshua Zirkzee or Matheus Cunha in a central role as a short-term solution.

The club have been adamant they will no longer be held to ransom on transfer deals. Jim Ratcliffe made clear last season that United’s financial approach had to change, warning they were heading toward disaster without serious reform.

But frustration mounted earlier this week over Brentford’s valuation of Mbeumo, which kept creeping up. United had looked unwilling to meet the £70 million asking price, but made a £65 million offer with a further £5 million in add-ons as the player made clear his desire to join.

United must now show a similar level of determination in their pursuit of a new goalscorer. The search continues for the right fit.

Dean JonesFlashscore