Ruben Amorim addresses the fans on the Old Trafford pitch by making his post-season speech.
Ruben Amorim desperately wants to sign a striker this summer.
The summer transfer window has only been open for just over a week and already Manchester United have had to change course.
After identifying Liam Delap as their top target to strengthen their attacking options, members of United's hierarchy must have breathed a collective sigh when they learnt of the England Under-21 international's decision to move to Chelsea.
Delap, who scored 12 Premier League goals in his first and only season at Ipswich Town, was available via a £30million release clause, making him an attainable target. He held talks with a cluster of suitors, including United.
As frustrating as it can be for a club to have their transfer blueprint shredded, the good news is that Delap has made his move to Stamford Bridge right at the very start of the summer, leaving United with plenty of time to explore alternative avenues.
Furthermore, is missing out on Delap as big a 'blow' as some may claim it to be? He has just one season of top flight football under his belt and is still incredibly raw at the age of 22.
After gambling on potential in 2023 with Rasmus Hojlund and again last summer with Joshua Zirkzee, United can ill-afford to take another risk on a striker this summer. They need a proven goalscorer who can come in and hit the ground running.
Right now, a handful of names are frequently cropping up on repeat. The strikers in question are Napoli's Victor Osimhen, Viktor Gyokeres of Sporting Lisbon and soon-to-be free agent Jonathan David.
Of the Premier League's elite, United, Arsenal and Liverpool are the only three in desperate need of an out-and-out striker this summer now that Chelsea have signed Delap.
Arsenal are prioritising a move for former United target and RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko. The Slovakian netted 21 goals in Germany this season and he has emerged as the Gunners' preferred target to bolster the tip of their attack.
Arsenal are focused on trying to sign Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig. (Image: Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto via Getty Images.)
Liverpool have loosely been linked with a crop of forwards, but their current priorities are to wrap up the signings of Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez and Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz.
Meanwhile, despite Osimhen's move to Al-Hilal being on, off, on again and then finally off, Galatasaray are set to try their luck to re-sign the striker permanently after his productive loan spell in Turkey this season.
With Arsenal, who have also been heavily linked with Gyokeres, occupied chasing Sesko, Osimhen at the centre of a saga and David being eyed by the likes of Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, Gyokeres is shaping up to be the most accessible striker for United to chase.
As soon as Ruben Amorim swapped Sporting for United last November, links connecting the Swede with Old Trafford were inevitable. Naturally, they have been persistent for months.
But at a time where United desperately need a reliable goalscorer, there is a feeling developing that it may be inevitable the 27-year-old follows in in Amorim's footsteps.
It is widely reported he will be available for a fee in the region of £60m this summer, which feels relatively respectable for a player that has plundered a whopping 97 goals in the last two seasons.
Viktor Gyokeres lives for scoring goals. (Image: Miguel Lemos/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images.)
He joined Sporting in July 2023 on the back of a prolific season with Coventry City. He was the best striker in England outside the Premier League in 2022/23 and he was linked with various Premier League clubs.
However, after his agent had held talks with Amorim, it was decided Sporting was the best destination for Gyokeres to take the next step in his career. That theory has been reflected in his tally of 97 goals in 102 games.
Fast, strong, aggressive and an excellent striker of the ball, Gyokeres ticks a lot of boxes. His goalscoring record in the last couple of years, for both club and country, has been astonishing and every striker ought to be judged on their record in front of goal.
If United are to fulfil their mission of signing a prolific goalscorer this summer, they have no choice but to loosen the purse strings. They have already spent £62.5m on Matheus Cunha and a similar fee could soon be spent on Bryan Mbeumo, meaning sales will be key to funding any further new arrivals.
However, failing to recruit a No.9 this summer is a non-negotiable. With Arsenal focusing on Sesko, Al-Hilal desperate to sign Osimhen and Liverpool currently focusing on other priorities, United might have a clear run at trying to attain a striker Amorim knows inside out.