Manchester United’s attack could have looked far different as they had three strikers high on their summer transfer shortlist in 2023 before signing Rasmus Hojlund.
Having netted the ninth most goals last season, the reality for this year’s campaign is far worse. They now sit 16th for goals scored, netting just one more than Everton and the current strikeforce of Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee have faltered under Ruben Amorim.
The tenure of Amorim has been rocky and full of inconsistent performances but one consistent thing is their lack of goal threat and clinical finishing in the box from their strikers. A worrying stat for the team is that they have created 49 big chances this season and missed 43 of them.
For reference, Hojlund has seven goals in 32 games while Zirkzee has five in 37 demonstrating their issues in front of goal, as they have a combined total of five in the Premier League this season.
Having paid over £105million for the pairing, the club are now being linked with multiple replacements from across Europe as they look to swap out their young and misfiring forwards for someone with more firepower.
This has been an ongoing search for multiple years and before the club signed Holjund for £72million from Atalanta in 2023, they reportedly had three players on their shortlist which they turned down; those three players have since been revealed by former coach Benni McCarthy.
Harry Kane
“In the summer of 2023, Harry Kane was our No. 1 target,” McCarthy told Ladbrokes at the launch of Gaffer of all Accas.
“Kane was the prime target, but obviously, the price tag was an issue. Because he would have been leaving Spurs for United, a few extra million pounds were added on the to the price tag, which, you know, for a 30-year-old wasn’t seen to be wise.
Everyone remembers this one; Harry Kane to United felt like an inevitable move but the offer from Bayern Munich came with the promise of trophies and instant glory which gave them the edge over a move to Old Trafford.
Interestingly, Bayern failed to win a trophy in his first season despite Kane netting 44 goals in all competitions. They are leading the way in the league this season and have an outside chance of securing the Champions League too and he could return to England this summer due to a release clause becoming active this summer.
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Randal Kolo Muani
At the time, Randal Kolo Muani was a highly-rated forward following a brilliant season at Frankfurt having managed 23 goals and 17 assists in all competitions, as well as breaking into the France national team.
United had him high on their list, according to McCarthy, but his lack of a guarantee of goals and the high price tag is what derailed this move. He signed for Paris Saint-Germain late in the window for £76million but only managed 12 goals in his first season.
He has since continued to struggle in Paris and made a mid-season loan move to Juventus, after turning down moves to United and Tottenham, where he is currently thriving with five goals in five games so far.
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Victor Osimhen
The Nigerian currently finds himself at Galatasaray on loan with a record of 19 goals and five assists in 25 games but he remains a Napoli player having failed to secure a move away this summer. United’s interest came after he had led them to a Serie A title in 2023, finishing the season with 31 goals in 39 games.
Napoli is famous for being tough negotiators and likely wanted a fee nearer to the £100million mark and he would have had to chart English football for the first time which would bring a degree of risk compared to Kane who was already proven here.
A deal for him could re-emerge in the summer and the arrival of Romelu Lukaku at Napoli ensures Osihmen will be looking for a permanent exit, and multiple sides have been linked.
