Manchester United are reportedly on the lookout for a new number nine and have identified six potential centre-forward signings for the upcoming transfer window. Harry Kane and Victor Osimhen are considered the favourites for a summer switch to Old Trafford, but four other strikers from the Bundesliga, Eredivisie, and Serie A are also said to be on Man Utd’s radar.
United did not directly replace Cristiano Ronaldo in January, and loanee Wout Weghorst was their only attacking arrival during the last transfer window, making it clear that the club needs a top-class striker to lead the line next season.
According to Rob Dawson of ESPN, Man Utd‘s six-name shortlist includes Kane, Osimhen, Randal Kolo Muani from Eintracht Frankfurt, Tammy Abraham from Roma, Dusan Vlahovic from Juventus, and Brian Brobbey from Ajax, who is perhaps a surprise inclusion.
Based on their in-house Expected Transfer Value (xTV) model, Kane would be the most expensive of the six by a reasonable amount, with Tottenham’s record scorer currently rated at €89.8m (£77.9m), ahead of Napoli’s Osimhen, the leading scorer in Serie A this season, at €70m (£60.7m).
Daylight Brobbery?
At the other end of the spectrum, should Brian Brobbey make a surprise switch to Old Trafford, it would cost Manchester United a relatively small amount. The 21-year-old Dutch international has an xTV value of €17.8m (£15.4m), which is significantly lower than the other potential signings on Man Utd’s shortlist.
Brobbey hasn’t been very prolific this season, scoring only 12 goals for Ajax, while Tammy Abraham and Dusan Vlahovic have scored nine and 13 goals respectively for Roma and Juventus.
On the other hand, Randal Kolo Muani has been in good form for Eintracht Frankfurt lately, scoring six goals in his last eight appearances for the French international.