Manchester United are in need of a new striker as the January transfer window approaches, but things are complicated for Erik ten Hag and his side.
The departure of Cristiano Ronaldo by mutual agreement after he burnt bridges in a bombshell interview with Piers Morgan was unavoidable. Yet it has left a hole in the squad, with goalscorers thin on the ground at Old Trafford.
Edinson Cavani left over the summer, but United did not find a replacement, instead shelling out £230million on five players in different positions, with Lisandro Martinez, Tyrell Malacia, Casemiro, Christian Eriksen and Antony arriving. That huge expenditure, and the Glazer family’s decision to try and sell the club, means Ten Hag won’t be handed a transfer war chest for January.
United had been tracking Cody Gakpo for some time and remained interested in signing him from PSV Eindhoven, only to be gazumped by Liverpool, who have agreed a £45m deal. They have looked at AC Milan’s Rafael Leao, Juventus ’ Dusan Vlahovic and Benfica’s Goncalo Ramos, but none are considered viable targets for January. The situation is emphasised by the fact that Victor Osimhen was valued at £100m by Napoli.
Ten Hag has been open about his desire to sign a striker, but financial restrictions mean the club might have to get creative. Here are six players United may consider as Ten Hag tries to strengthen his squad mid-season.
Joao Felix
Felix is available from Atletico Madrid, who are open to cutting their losses on the forward who cost them £110m from Benfica in 2019. The 23-year-old has fallen out with manager Diego Simeone – but a transfer will not be straightforward, due to the money involved.
The Times reports that Atleti are looking for a loan fee of £8m to send Felix out for the remainder of the season and they also want his wages paid in full, which equates to another £8m. United are reportedly unwilling to pay £16m for Felix’s services, especially considering there won’t be an option to buy placed in the terms.
Unless United can haggle, it seems unlikely that the Portugal international will become Ronaldo’s replacement.
Memphis Depay
Depay has been linked with a return to Old Trafford because his current contract with Barcelona is set to expire in June. Barca are understood to be open to offloading the Netherlands forward, who has 14 goals in 41 appearances since joining from Lyon in June 2021.
The 28-year-old appears to fit the bill, in that he’s available, experienced and has some international pedigree – he has an impressive 43 goals in 86 games for his country. However, Depay is more comfortable playing off the flanks, rather than down the middle, something which is also true of Marcus Rashford, Antony, Anthony Martial, Anthony Elanga and Jadon Sancho.
Moussa Dembele
Dembele is another striker who is set to become a free agent on July 1, meaning he is free to speak to other clubs from January. The 26-year-old has scored 69 goals in 156 appearances for Lyon and Media Foot says he is on United’s radar.
United were linked with Dembele last January, but decided against making a move. He is now being linked with both Aston Villa and Galatasaray and would represent a short-term fix, rather than a long-term strategic purchase.
Martin Terrier
Terrier’s name has been cropping up in reports thanks to a very decent goalscoring record for Rennes.
The 25-year-old striker turned heads with 21 goals and four assists in 37 Ligue 1 appearances last season and has backed that up with a further 11 goals in the current campaign. United and Tottenham are both reportedly interested in signing him, but he would appear a left-field choice in January for Ten Hag.
Alvaro Morata
United first enquired about the availability of Morata in the summer, according to ESPN. The 30-year-old Spain international is not new to the Premier League, having spent three largely unsuccessful seasons with Chelsea, but he could make a return.
Morata is now back at Atletico Madrid following time spent on loan with Juventus, but has only scored five goals in 20 appearances so far this season. However, he looked sharp in netting three times in four games for Spain at the World Cup and represents a more experienced option for United.
He is under contract with Atleti until June 2024 but may be open to seeking pastures new following a turbulent few years.
Marcus Thuram
Thuram is another player who was thrust into the spotlight by the World Cup, where he featured regularly off the bench for France and made an impact in the final against Argentina.
His current contract with Borussia Monchengladbach is due to expire at the end of June and it doesn’t look like he will sign a new one. The 25-year-old is the subject of interest from Inter Milan, who are ready to pay him £4.41m (€5m) per year, according to Gazzetta dello Sport, who say that United, Juventus and Newcastle are all in the mix for his signature.
Thuram has 41 goals and 26 assists in 119 games for Gladbach. While he is more comfortable coming off the left flank, he can play centrally, as we saw at the World Cup. He would reportedly be available for a cut-price fee of £10m or less in January.
