Manchester United have been lacking a genuine No. 9 since the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo to Al Nassr FC in November 2022. The perfect striker for United next season is a player capable of taking pressure off Marcus Rashford, who is currently the main striker at Old Trafford.
Rashford has been phenomenal throughout last season, having scored 30 goals and 11 assists in 56 appearances. He also helped United secure the Carabao Cup, where he was the top scorer with six goals.
Despite being rumoured to leave Old Trafford for Paris Saint-Germain, the striker is set to start earning a whopping £375,000 a week after signing a new deal with the Red Devils which will run up until June 2028. This contract will see him become among the club’s highest earners.
Tag has shown interest in a number of strikers who he believes would strengthen Manchester United’s frontline. Here is a detailed look into each one of them:
- Rasmus Hojlund
After weeks of discussions, Atalanta’s Rasmus Hojlund is reported to have agreed personal terms with Manchester United. According to SkySports, the Denmark International will sign a 5-year contract to join the likes of Mason Mount and Andre Onana, who switched to Old Trafford earlier this summer, which will cost the club €70m and an additional €5m in performance-related bonuses.
The attacker has been impressive in the Serie A, having scored nine goals in 32 appearances. The youngster has plenty of room to improve, and fans and pundits alike speculate that Erik ten Hag will help mould him into a world-class striker.
Pointing out to United’s goalless match against Real Madrid, Erik ten Hag is optimistic that Hojlund will fit into his squad as a centre forward.
Hojlund’s height is 6’2”, and his physical presence will position him as the perfect focal point in Man United’s frontline, with Marcus Rashford cutting in from the left-hand side to supply him with the ball. In the past, particularly during their pre-season match against Leeds, United have had to play Jadon Sancho as “false 9”. This issue must be remedied as soon as possible, and Hojlund is seemingly the best fit Manchester United have at the moment.
- Harry Kane
There’s a possibility that Manchester United could once again start pursuing Harry Kane. This after Tottenham’s majority owner, Joe Lewis, informed the club’s chairman, Daniel Levy, that the striker couldn’t be allowed to run down his contract and leave for nothing next year. Therefore, Kane must sign a contract, or else he has to leave Spurs this summer. Regardless, the attacker is not expected to sign any new agreement with Spurs this summer.
The first time United showed interest in Kane, Spurs weren’t ready to part ways with their record goalscorer. Harry Kane has been phenomenal for Spurs, having scored 42% of their Premier League goals this season.
To secure Kane’s signature, United were willing to part ways with a whopping £100 million, the kind of money you can’t just put your hands on even if you had the correct Irish Lottery winning numbers from a site like Lottoland. And that’s besides his salary demands, which could amount up to £30m a year.
- Victor Osimhen
Victor Osimhen has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester United for the most part of this summer’s transfer window. However, the Nigerian International is said to have decided to stay at Napoli this summer. Osimhen had a tremendous campaign last season, having helped break Napoli’s 33-year dry spell to claim the Serie A title. His top form saw him bag 31 goals and five assists in 39 matches. The last time United tried to pursue the No. 9, Napoli were asking for around £140 million.
Conclusion
Erik ten Hag has been looking for a genuine number 9 for quite a while. Hojlund is the first striker in Hag’s wish list that has reached the advanced stages of signing a contract with United.
Nonetheless, Harry Kane might also join Hojlund following reports that he won’t be allowed to run down his contract and leave for nothing next year. Besides, United will be well off with two number nines to compete with the likes of City for the title next season.
With a young prospect like Hojlund, who has huge potential, and an experienced centre forward like Harry Kane, they would stand a chance to pursue the trophy next season.
