Manchester United are now in talks to sign an "unstoppable" player, Laurie Whitwell has revealed in a report for The Athletic.
Man Utd's striker pursuit heating up
Man United have already confirmed the arrival of Matheus Cunha, while the deal for Bryan Mbeumo appears to be edging closer to completion, meaning Ruben Amorim's next task may be to secure the signature of a new striker.
There are a number of exciting options on INEOS' shortlist, many of whom were prolific in front of goal last season, although some price tags could be an issue, given that United missed out on Champions League qualification.
In a report for The Athletic, Whitwell has now dropped a new update on Man United's pursuit of a new striker, stating that Ekitike is out of their price range, while a deal for Napoli's Victor Osimhen could be tricky, given the Nigerian's high wages.
Amorim would like to seal a reunion with Gyokeres, but the Sweden international is prioritising a move to Arsenal, meaning the Red Devils could be forced to move on to other targets, and they have now held talks over a deal for Chelsea's Christopher Nkunku.
christopher-nkunku-chelsea
Nkunku's name is said to have been discussed during negotiations over the departure of Alejandro Garnacho, who recently did himself no favours by being pictured wearing an Aston Villa shirt with Marcus Rashford's name on the back.
Nkunku would, presumably, be a more affordable signing than Ekitike, having originally signed for Chelsea for a fee of £52m back in 2023.
"Unstoppable" Nkunku may need to leave Chelsea this summer
The Frenchman often found game time hard to come by last season, and the seemingly imminent arrival of Joao Pedro is likely to do the forward no favours, so it is likely he will need to leave the Blues this summer for the good of his career.
There are some signs the 27-year-old could be the solution to United's attacking issues, too, having received very high praise from journalist Zach Lowy during his time with RB Leipzig.
The former Leipzig man is also a solid all-rounder, placing in the top 1% for interceptions and his pass-completion rate per 90 over the past year, when compared to other forwards.
That said, Nkunku's record in front of goal is likely to be a major cause for concern, with the forward finding the back of the net just three times in the Premier League last season, so a move for either Gyokeres or Toney would make more sense.