Leaving aside Thursday’s Europa League miracle at Old Trafford, Manchester United have struggled in front of goals and Ruben Amorim is likely to demand reinforcements up top.
Even on a special night at the Theatre of Dreams, Rasmus Hojlund’s lack of understanding of space and non-existent runs did not help with the Dane netting only eight times in all competitions this season.
The head coach is not impressed and wants him gone in the summer. Serie A sides are clamouring for his signature with INEOS even open to a loan exit.
As far as replacements are concerned, Viktor Gyokeres had emerged as an early favourite owing to ties with Amorim but the Swede is hoping to play in the Champions League next season, something that is not guaranteed at United.
United admire Dembele
Victor Osimhen has no such demands but the Nigerian’s wages might prove to be a major obstacle. There have been reports of the Red Devils agreeing personal terms with the Napoli ace but agreeing on a fee with the Serie A side might not be as straightforward.
Which is why backup options like Liam Delap of Ipswich Town and Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta are being monitored in case things go south.
Now, CaughtOffside have thrown a blockbuster name into the mix — Ousmane Dembele of Paris Saint-Germain. After years of underperformance, the Frenchman is enjoying the form of his life.
The “unstoppable” attacker has 32 goals and 11 assists in only 31 starts with a goal involvement arriving roughly every 65 minutes.
And naturally, his red-hot form has attracted plenty of interest from Premier League clubs with United being one of the interested parties.
The 27-year-old still has three years left to run on his deal with his market value currently standing at €75 million, which means an exit will not come cheap.
Champions League qualification will be required if the 20-time English league champions are to overtake the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool in the race.
Dembele race
“It’s been a season to remember for Paris Saint-Germain star Ousmane Dembele, who has a remarkable 32 goals and eight assists in 42 games in all competitions.
“Sources have revealed to CaughtOffside that Arsenal are one of his biggest admirers, along with Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea.
“PSG, however, want to give the France international a new contract, so one imagines it’s going to be very difficult to get him out of the Parc des Princes.”
The Parisian giants hold all the aces at this point and it would likely require a gigantic bid and the player’s own intervention to secure his signature in the summer.
For now, United might be better off searching elsewhere for a ruthless goalscorer. Ollie Watkins has emerged as a surprise target with a swap deal with Marcus Rashford being discussed. Not the worst move at this point in time.
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Ayantan Chowdhury
Ayantan has worked for 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites but his heart was always set on writing about his favourite club. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25
