Man United 'line up shock move for injury-prone free agent striker'

Manchester United are reportedly eager to sign free agent Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

The marksman is without a club after leaving Everton at the end of his contract following a nine-year stint.

His past few seasons have been marred by injuries and he was limited to 19 Premier League starts last campaign, scoring three goals.

But Ruben Amorim sees him as a useful cut-price option as Man United seek to  stay on the right side of financial rules, according to The Sun.

United have already added Matheus Cunha from Wolves for £62.5million and Paraguayan teenage sensation Diego Leon for £7m from Cerro Porteno to their squad.

As Mail Sport has reported, they are also closing in on a deal for Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo potentially in excess of £65m - and all that spending means they will have to sell and look at cheap options also.

Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, Antony, Jadon Sancho and Tyrell Malacia have been ordered to stay away from training for now so they can find new clubs.

Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee have also failed to bust the net with much frequency and as such Amorim is seeking striking reinforcements.

There is little doubt about Calvert-Lewin's potential when he hits his stride.

Between 2019 and 2021, the 6ft2in battering ram hit 36 goals across two seasons and forced his way into the England set up, earning 11 caps and scoring four goals.

That saw him in high demand - United were linked with him repeatedly back then but never signed him amid whispers of a £80m price tag - but injuries have ravaged his career since then.

A hamstring blow ruled him out of the majority of the second half of last season and that was actually his 13th injury since the start of the 2020-21 campaign.

However, The Sun reports that United see him as a possible third or fourth choice forward, and that role, with less strain on his body, could get the best out of him when he does play.

The newspaper dangles the possibility of a 'lucrative contract' for the 28-year-old fuelled by appearances and goals as an incentive.

United are continuing their pursuit of Mbeumo, who is three years younger than Calvert-Lewin, but Brentford are not budging on their £65m valuation under new manager Keith Andrews.

Tottenham are rivalling United for him and have the persuasive tool of Thomas Frank, his former Bees boss, in the dugout - as well as Champions League football after they beat United 1-0 in the Europa League final.