Manchester United New Forward: Missing out on one attacking target has forced Manchester United to rethink their plans before the transfer window shuts. That isn’t always a bad thing. Sometimes a change of direction uncovers a stronger solution, especially when the market still offers players with different qualities and sensible price tags.
Manchester United New Forward options deserve immediate attention
Carrick needs variety across the front line rather than three footballers who perform the same role. One should stretch defences. Another should finish chances inside the box. A third must bring pace and unpredictability from wide areas. Get that balance right, and United’s attack starts asking far tougher questions of Premier League opponents.
1. Francisco Conceição should sit at the top of the Manchester United New Forward shortlist
With Diomande heading to Spain, United suddenly have a clearer path to Francisco Conceição. Juventus value the Portugal international at around £43 million, and his numbers explain why.
11 goals and 13 assists from 42 appearances point to a player delivering every few matches instead of relying on brief purple patches. More impressive is the way he creates those moments.
Few wide players attack defenders with such confidence. Conceição receives the ball, turns quickly and drives straight into dangerous spaces instead of recycling possession. His close control lets him escape crowded areas, while his passing creates room for Bruno Fernandes to operate without constant pressure. Defenders hate facing someone who changes direction so sharply. Conceição does it repeatedly.
2. Santiago Giménez gives Manchester United’s new forward plans a different dimension
AC Milan‘s signing of Gonçalo Ramos has altered Santiago Giménez’s situation, making a loan with an obligation to buy a genuine possibility. Five goals and two assists in 30 appearances don’t leap off the page. Injuries interrupted his rhythm, while Milan’s changing attacking structure never suited him.
Watch him inside the penalty area, though, and a different picture appears. Giménez plays with purpose. He pins centre-backs, protects possession and lays simple passes into midfield before spinning into scoring positions. United have lacked that reliable focal point during tight matches, particularly against deep defensive blocks where quick combinations matter far more than endless dribbling.
3. Antonio Nusa would restore balance on the left flank
Marcus Rashford could leave before the deadline, and Sancho has already left. If both depart, Carrick loses pace, width and directness in one move.
Antonio Nusa would replace those qualities without copying either player. RB Leipzig are believed to value the Norwegian at around £38 million after he produced eight goals and nine assists in 35 matches during the 2025/26 campaign.
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Give Nusa open grass, and he attacks instantly. Full-backs don’t enjoy those races. He stays wide instead of drifting into crowded central areas, stretching defensive lines and opening gaps for midfield runners such as Andrey Santos or Youri Tielemans. That movement changes the shape of attacks before he even touches the ball, which explains why these three names deserve far more attention than another expensive headline signing.