According to reports, Manchester United’s moves for three strikers worth around £218m combined have been ruled out for three reasons.
Man Utd made a decent start to this summer’s transfer window as they moved quickly to acquire Matheus Cunha, activating the £62.5m release clause in his Wolves contract.
However, United’s move for Bryan Mbeumo is proving more difficult as club chiefs stumble over meeting Brentford’s reported £70m asking price, while the forward’s stance on staying put has provided a further obstacle.
The Red Devils are also finding it difficult to sign a striker after missing out on Liam Delap to Chelsea.
A new striker is required after Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund only scored seven Premier League goals between them in 2024/25, while the latter is heavily linked with a move back to Serie A.
Delap appeared to be Man Utd’s top target as he was available for a cut-price £30m fee due to the relegation release clause in his Ipswich Town deal, but he opted to join Chelsea after they secured a spot in next season’s Champions League.
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Man Utd are yet to reach a breakthrough with an alternative, though they are linked with several potential options.
Were United to sign Mbeumo, their summer spend would pass £120m, so they may need to sell before they go all in on a new striker.
However, in another issue, the Red Devils are struggling to offload their unwanted talents as Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho and Antony remain contracted to the Premier League giants.
This is contributing to giving head coach Ruben Amorim and United’s recruitment team a headache, with a report from The Athletic revealing three reasons why they will struggle to sign Gyokeres, Victor Osimhen or Hugo Ekitike.
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With Gyokeres and Ekitike’s valuations set at 80 million euros and 100 million euros respectively, while Osimhen’s release clause is worth 75 million euros, the three strikers are worth 255 million euros (£218m) combined and The Athletic have revealed why they are unlikely to move to Old Trafford.
‘Amorim would like a reunion with Viktor Gyokeres but at this stage, his priority upon leaving Sporting CP appears to be Arsenal, while Victor Osimhen’s wages are viewed as too high at United. Frankfurt’s €100m price tag on Hugo Ekitike is beyond United’s current means.’
Aston Villa and England star Ollie Watkins is an option for Man Utd, though. The same report confirms there has been ‘contract’ between the two clubs to ‘explore a deal’.
‘United’s full focus at the moment is agreeing a deal with Brentford for Bryan Mbeumo and then pushing for the sales which are required to free up further funds. In the background, they are also assessing the market on strikers, Watkins included. It is not guaranteed one arrives if outgoings are insufficient.’