Manchester United’s striker search is giving eerily similar vibes from the Glazers’ era after striking out on two targets but the best option is right in front of them for free.
What started as a fairly strong transfer window with the early signing of Matheus Cunha and strong interest in Liam Delap is turning into somewhat of a nightmare.
Liam Delap rejected Man Utd for Chelsea, the first bid for Bryan Mbeumo was rejected and since then, Spurs have emerged as genuine contenders.
Furthermore, Viktor Gyokeres prefers to join Arsenal, while the striker United seem to have pivoted to, Hugo Ekitike, will cost a fortune and has question marks over him.
Enter the player who had 37 goal involvements last season and is available on a free transfer.
Jonathan David (C) of Lille celebrates scoring his side's first goal during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD7 match between Liverpool FC and LOSC Lille
Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images
Man Utd should make a move for Jonathan David
Liam Delap was attractive because, despite his age and rawness, he had a Premier League pedigree and a palatable release clause of £30 million.
Gyokeres, Osimhen, and Ekitike are all options further down the list and come with the added risk of huge financial commitment and lack of interest in joining.
That is why the lack of movement from United on the Jonathan David front is so confusing.
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David confirmed his Lille departure recently and is a free agent now on the back of a campaign which saw him score 25 and assist 12 goals in 49 games across all competitions.
At 25, David is also in the same age bracket as Gyokeres and Osimhen of not being raw anymore but still having his best years ahead of him.
Most importantly, David is prioritising a Premier League switch which, after Chelsea signing Delap and Arsenal potentially signing Sesko or Gyokeres, leaves United with a clean run.
United’s lack of interest in David made sense a month or two ago when they were going hammer and tongs for Delap, with Gyokeres as an option.
However, after two rejections and the exorbitant price quoted for Ekitike, David is the no-brainer option.
Free striker signing will boost Man Utd’s transfer window
It goes without saying that a free signing isn’t really “free”, as the signing-on fee is involved and the player is well within his rights to ask for a higher salary as a result.
However, in David’s case, the dwindling market among elite clubs could make his marriage with United one made in heaven.
David gets to join an elite club in terms of profile and in the process, boosts their competitive prospects.
That is because saving £60 million or so on a striker will allow United to potentially spend on improving other areas of the squad.
A midfielder is on the agenda and so is an upgrade on Andre Onana. If personal terms work with David beyond breaking the structure, at least one, and probably two more signings become likely.
All that is outside of David’s ability on the pitch, where he proved himself to be a lethal player with the versatility to perform multiple roles.
The player and the club are perfect for each other due to their respective situations in the transfer window.