Manchester United’s striker search is giving an opportunity to the agents across football to offer the services of their players, and one such option was very intriguing indeed.
In an ideal world, Man Utd would have already got their striker through the door, but they were rejected by Liam Delap for Chelsea.
Once that £30m bargain went out of the door, the search was always going to be difficult because of the money involved.
However, Fabrizio Romano has now revealed that United were recently offered the chance to sign a striker with Premier League pedigree who scored 24 goals last season.
Jhon Duran and Ollie Watkins of Aston Villa during the Premier League match between Aston Villa FC and AFC Bournemouth at Villa Park on October 26, 2024
Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images
Fabrizio Romano makes Man Utd striker search revelation
It is clear that United have pivoted quickly in the market after “striking out” on Liam Delap.
They have chosen to add proven Premier League goals to the Man Utd squad, regardless of the position they come from.
Matheus Cunha and, potentially, Bryan Mbeumo, add 35 league goals between them, which is just nine fewer than the whole United team scored combined last season.
Still, United do need to add a striker if only to add options to that position, since they have only one natural candidate for the role, one makeshift candidate, and one youth prospect for that role(Joshua Zirkzee is ideally a No. 10 in Ruben Amorim’s system).
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Romano has revealed that before he signed for Fenerbahce, United were offered the chance to sign Jhon Duran from Al-Nassr, an option they rejected.
He said: “Man Utd were also offered the possibility to sign Jhon Duran from Al Nassr on an initial loan deal, covering his salary, but they decided to turn down that possibility to focus on different targets.”
Man Utd’s Jhon Duran’s rejection hints at clear plan
While Duran fits the profile of a Ruben Amorim striker, and has the age profile and financial numbers to be an ideal Ineos signing, rejecting him should be seen as a positive sign.
It shows that United have a clear plan and approach to squad building, and are not getting sidetracked by fleeting market opportunities that don’t fit their vision.
Duran might have Premier League pedigree, but the way he engineered his exit from Aston Villa left a sour taste in the mouth.
Add to that his hopping ways, as he’s left Al-Nassr after less than a season, and it has all the makings of a player who has itchy feet and is not afraid to let everyone know about it.
Duran is the kind of panic signing United would make under the Glazers after striking out on multiple options, saddling the club with a hefty contract that would be impossible to move in the future.
As good as Duran is, and could be in the future, United need to move on from players of that kind. Their rejection of the player is a positive sign.