Manchester United’s lack of firepower up front has no doubt hamstrung Ruben Amorim’s sides progression since his arrival at Old Trafford in November.
After failing to add to their numbers in January, Amorim has been tasked with navigating United to the end of the campaign with the wafer thin numbers he has at his disposal in attacking areas.
The summer market will be key to where the Portuguese coach takes his team next season and a busy window is expected at the Theatre of Dreams.
As ever, a raft of names has been linked with bolstering United’s forward line with Amorim desperate for guaranteed goals going into his first full season in charge.
As reported by The Mirror, Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta is one of the players on United’s shortlist and INOES have been told how much the big Frenchman will set them back should they decide he is their man.
Given Mateta’s fine form over the last 18 months in East London, Palace have slapped a price tag of “at least” £50 million on the 27-year-old.
United are also set to face stiff competition from Premier League clubs whose ears have been pricked by the performance levels of Mateta now that he has proven he can cut it in England’s top flight.
Another stumbling block in United’s potential pursuit of the striker is the fact Palace’s largest shareholder John Textor is also the owner of Lyon and the Ligue 1 side are keen to bring Mateta back to his homeland.
Naturally, given Textor’s involvement with the two clubs a move from London to Lyon may prove a complicated one but United are clearly just one in a long line of suitors for the player.
It was Mateta’s double that inflicted United’s latest Old Trafford defeat as Amorim continues to struggle to find the formula to arrest the poor form shown in the Premier League.
The outlet also reports Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson’s beliefs that Mateta should make the move to Manchester, claiming the Palace man is “100 times better” than Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee.
The current United pair have the coming months to prove their worth at Old Trafford but have a lot to do if they are to stop Amorim upgrading his options in the closed season.
Feature image Michael Regan via Getty Images
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Conner Botterill
Conner Botterill has been with The Peoples Person for two years. A keen match-going red with degrees in Sport and Journalism and Philosophy and Psychology, Conner still believes he has a chance of making United’s first team through his 5-a-side career.
