Manchester United are still in the market for a striker this summer but the Red Devils are currently struggling to move on four players who are deemed surplus to requirements
14:45, 15 Jul 2025Updated 14:49, 15 Jul 2025
Ruben Amorim has been frustrated in the search for a new striker
Ruben Amorim has been frustrated in the search for a new striker(Image: Manchester United via Getty Imag)
A quick peek at the first team section on Manchester United's website shows their biggest issue tucked away at the bottom of the page, as Ruben Amorim continues to pray it will be addressed this summer.
Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho, two big names without squad numbers, are the last pair listed. Above them, you'll find Alejandro Garnacho and Antony. The page is crammed with a staggering 33 players. The aforementioned four, along with Tyrell Malacia, can all but be excluded from the actual senior squad.
Dan Gore and Ethan Wheatley aren't quite first-team material yet, and it's too soon to label Tyler Fredricson as such, despite his recent squad number promotion. Diego Leon's profile has made its way onto the first team page, but the 18-year-old's debut year is expected to mirror Sekou Kone's – a period of adjustment with limited senior level opportunities, reports the Manchester Evening News.
The Red Devils are left with a streamlined 24 players, a perfect fit for a season devoid of European nights. However, valuable assets can't simply be dismissed. Rashford, Antony, Sancho and Garnacho collectively pocket a whopping £825,000-a-week. They're all still on United's payroll, and it's likely they'll remain there come August.
It's unlikely that United will offload all four. Garnacho has suitors and Sancho's high price tag is hard to justify after four lacklustre years and with only a year left on his contract. Antony has stirred interest, but it's doubtful any club will cough up his profitability and sustainability-calculated value of £32.58m.
Antony, Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford have all been frozen out at Manchester United
Antony, Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford have all been frozen out at Manchester United(Image: Manchester United via Getty Images,)
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Antony might have to take a leaf out of Sancho's book and go for a season-long loan with a set fee due at the end, minus any Sancho-esque loopholes. With Rashford's hefty wage packet, three years left on his contract, and fussiness over a new club, a loan seems like the only way forward.
Rashford was spotted smashing a four-hour gym session on Monday morning. His Instagram has been chock-a-block with workout videos all summer. He's even been putting in extra graft at Carrington. It's clear he's keen to turn heads.
It's likely that United will still be coughing up for two big-name forwards come next season. Add to that two strikers they've splashed £108.5million on, a hotshot teen striker bumped up to the first team half a year ago, and five players who can slot in as a No.10. They're more stacked than an Ikea stockroom.
Any whispers that United are about to snap up another striker seem far-fetched given their already jam-packed and pricey attack. Liam Delap seemed a handy choice given his low release clause and playing for a relegated club more interested in hosting Ed Sheeran gigs than staying in the Premier League.
Liam Delap chose Chelsea over Manchester United
Liam Delap chose Chelsea over Manchester United(Image: AP)
Insiders say United's new director of football, Jason Wilcox, is well-liked by the staff and highly respected. Sir Jim Ratcliffe reckons Wilcox has the "best eyes in football". He didn't have to look far for Delap, a player he'd seen in action at the Manchester City academy when he was director there.
United are still smarting from the hefty £72m deal they struck with Atalanta for Rasmus Hojlund, shelling out an initial £64m just two years ago. During the talks with Atalanta, a member of United's coaching team confessed they wouldn't be able to splash another £60m on a striker the following summer.
When United found themselves in need of another frontman last year, they had to settle for triggering Joshua Zirkzee's release clause, which cost them roughly half of what they forked out for Hojlund at £36.5m. It later transpired that Zirkzee isn't a natural striker.
United have been linked with Viktor Gyokeres and Hugo Ekitike but nothing solid has materialised. The two hotshots now look set to join Arsenal and Newcastle United respectively - both Premier League outfits who've secured Champions League spots.
Rasmus Hojlund
Rasmus Hojlund has endured a tough time at Manchester United(Image: Grzegorz Wajda/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
United let Christopher Nkunku's reps know they're not as keen as his home club, Chelsea, suggested. Meaning fans can expect Benjamin Sesko's name to start trending on Google this week as he's the last big-name, achievable striker left on the bench.
Sesko turned down United in 2022 to sign for RB Leipzig, but his agent has since made several trips to Old Trafford and Carrington. The 22-year-old, tied down until 2029, would demand at least double the fee United were willing to cough up for Delap. United have eight senior strikers on their books, most of whom are pocketing six-figure weekly wages.
The maths, for a club that admitted to a supporters' group its struggles to meet PSR, simply doesn't work. The urgency for guaranteed sales is heightened now that the price tag for a top striker has skyrocketed. Trying to mould Matheus Cunha or Bryan Mbeumo (if he ever lands) into a full-on forward would be a total fudge.
Benjamin Sesko
Benjamin Sesko might be the last top striker available this summer(Image: Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto)
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Sticking with Hojlund would be nothing short of blind optimism. High-ranking officials at United were rather critical of Hojlund last season, hinting at a potential exit this summer. Inter Milan showed interest in the Danish player back in June.
The hunt for a new striker will likely drag on until the transfer deadline day on 1st September. United's main buy tends to be one of the last ones over the line (Manuel Ugarte in 2024, Hojlund in 2023, Casemiro in 2022 and Harry Maguire in 2019).
United ended the past two seasons with a negative goal difference. It was a whopping ten times worse in 2024-25 compared to the previous season. The arrowhead needs serious sharpening. But there are issues at the bottom end that need sorting first.