This summer, Manchester United seemed pretty set on buying some new forwards, and that’s exactly what they did. Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo were the top targets for the wide forward areas in manager Ruben Amorim’s setup, and those deals went through without too much trouble, but the journey to signing a striker took several frustrating turns.
Former Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap was considered a primary target for the club, and United were mentioned in the mix for Joao Pedro and Viktor Gyokeres, though likely not seriously, and then French forward Hugo Ekitike, who wound up at Liverpool.
All four targets were on the move early, and United’s involvement never really materialized into concrete offers, at least in part because of the absence of European football. United had to weigh their options, eventually completing a move for Benjamin Sesko in August just as the season was beginning.
Delap was the ideal target because of the low fee in the region of 30-40 million, but he chose Chelsea because the option to play in Europe and earn wages with a European bonus was there for him.
On top of the effect on wages and spending room with salary, missing out on Europe also means less freedom to take a chance on multiple players in a summer, as Spurs did with signing both Mohamed Kudus and Xavi Simons.
Now, multiple clubs are also looking to sign the next top midfielder, and there are some top options.
Elliot Anderson is one that got away for Newcastle, finding his feet and thriving at Nottingham Forest under both Nuno Espirito Santo and now Sean Dyche, showcasing the classic box-to-box arsenal of skills with some creativity as a passer and ball carrier sprinkled in. Adam Wharton continues to impress at Crystal Palace as an uncovered Championship gem, and Carlos Baleba is on the radar as well, despite a slow start to the season after a late link to Old Trafford in August.
The problem for United will be managing the cost and spending power against other clubs in search of reinforcements. Liverpool and Manchester City may both be circling for the same targets, and at present have Champions League money to boost their respective budgets. Liverpool might have overextended a bit with their star striker signings in the summer, though, and City similarly splashed the cash in an effort to reinvigorate a team that struggled over the last year to keep up with rivals at the top of the table.
But if there are offers from City and United on the table, at this point it’s pretty clear who can guarantee more in terms of money and competition for top prizes. And that’s just in January. If the sagas drag out to the summer when more teams are on the hunt, and god forbid United STILL don’t have European money coming in, then the Reds may be waiting in August for who is still available once again.
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* [Manchester United: Transfer Rumors & News](/manchester-united-transfer-rumors-news)