Forget Gyökeres and Jackson - Five smart striker signings for Man Utd to consider this summer

Manchester United are certainly splashing the cash this summer. After signing Matheus Cunha from Wolves for €74.2 million and with Brentford winger Bryan Mbeumo on his way for a tidy sum of €80m, the Old Trafford club are seemingly showing no signs of slowing down in the transfer market. According to multiple reports, the Red Devils are intent on also signing a new centre forward, with Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson and even Arsenal transfer target Viktor Gyökeres heavily linked with a move to the club this summer. But what other No.9 options are on the market ahead of the coming season that could undoubtedly bolster Ruben Amorim’s front line? 

 

Loïs Openda - RB Leipzig 

If Man Utd are looking for a ready-made centre forward that will need very little time adapting to the physicality of the Premier League and can guarantee goals, then they could do a lot worse than RB Leipzig striker Loïs Openda. Since making the move to the Bundesliga from Lens, Openda has wasted no time at all racking up an impressive tally of 41 goals and 18 assists in 90 games for the Saxony club - averaging an impressive 0.76 goal contributions per 90 minutes. Unlike Man Utd’s current options up front, Openda loves tussling with defenders and is a dominating presence in the box. And in many ways, would be the perfect target man to lead the line for Amorim’s team this season. 

 

Evanilson - Bournemouth 

Having already allocated huge sums of money to sign Cunha and Mbeumo, Man Utd are clearly prepared to pay a premium for players that have already proven their worth in the Premier League. So, if they’re looking for a new No.9 that has already shown what he can do in the English top-flight, they may want to consider a move for Bournemouth’s Evanilson. Many raised an eyebrow when the Cherries bought the Brazilian forward for €37m last summer, but the centre forward quickly got to work in Andoni Iraola’s side, bagging 15 goals and assists in 31 league games - averaging 0.58 per 90 minutes of league football. And that number would surely rise rather quickly, if Evanilson was placed at the head of Man Utd’s finely-tuned attacking line up this season. 

 

Mohamed Amoura - Wolfsburg 

Both Openda and Evanilson are certainly more traditional centre forwards, but if Man Utd are instead in the market for a more dynamic forward then they should perhaps take a look at Mohamed Amoura at Wolfsburg. After stop-start spells in Switzerland and Belgium, Amoura burst on to the scene in the Bundesliga last season, where he quickly established himself as Wolfsburg primary source of goals and assists, bagging a remarkable 10 goals and 12 assists in 31 league games. Much like Manchester City star Omar Marmoush, Amoura can use his pace and incredible dribbling skills to play off the left or in the box as a striker and in both instances rarely struggles to find the back of the net. The Algerian has only just had his loan move to the Wolves finalised this summer with a €14.75m fee, but there’s little doubt that the German side are expecting far bigger offers for the 25-year-old talent very soon. 

 

Mika Biereth - Monaco

If the Red Devils are instead looking for more youth to bulk out the ranks of their attacking line up this season then a move for Monaco’s Mika Biereth may make sense this summer. After departing Arsenal’s youth academy, the London-born Dane has quickly worked his way up the ranks of European football leagues, scoring goals for fun in Scotland, Austria and most recently France, where he bagged 15 goals and assists in 16 Ligue 1 games after joining the French side in January of this year. A move to the Premier League seems inevitable for Biereth and Man Utd may be smart to swoop in for him now, rather than play three or four times the amount after he’s moved to a mid-table club. 

 

Victor Boniface - Bayer Leverkusen 

Last but certainly not least on our list of strikers is Bayer Leverkusen forward Victor Boniface. Although the Belgian No.9 didn’t have the best time of it last season due to a hamstring and thigh injury, he still managed 13 goals and assists in 27 appearances - averaging a very impressive 0.84 per 90 minutes of football. Whether Boniface still has a future at Leverkusen is up for debate. The forward almost made a move to Saudi Arabia in January and new head coach Erik Ten Hag may have a preference for the older and more experience Patrik Schick this season, meaning Man Utd may be able to pick up the powerful centre forward for far less than the club would have demanded six or 12 months ago. Boniface may not be the most sought-after player in the transfer market this summer, but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t be an excellent addition to Amorim’s front line this season.