Manchester United may sign a striker during the January transfer window.
Erik ten Hag, the manager of Manchester United, is said to be open to Cristiano Ronaldo leaving in January. The Dutchman sat United’s star forward on the bench during Sunday’s 6-3 loss to Manchester City, which is thought to have fueled the veteran attacker’s desire to go.
If Ronaldo finally leaves, United will undoubtedly need to acquire another forward in January. Express Sport considers four choices…
2. Victor Osimhen
During the summer transfer window, United was heavily linked with Napoli attacker Victor Osimhen. If the Red Devils had not prioritized bolstering their midfield and signing Antony, they may have pursued the Nigeria international more aggressively.
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Luciano Spalletti did not rule out selling Osimhen in the final days of the transfer window, but he did put a £100 million price tag on his head. United would have the upper hand in any negotiations for the 22-year-old, as Napoli were keen in signing Ronaldo.
Swap agreements are extremely rare in modern football, but one might be reached in January, especially with Ronaldo continuing his efforts to leave Old Trafford after being benched during the Manchester derby. Osimhen had a difficult start to the 2022-23 season, scoring only twice in Serie A.
2. Ivan Toney,
Alternatively, the Old Trafford leadership might turn closer to home and sign Brentford midfielder Ivan Toney. The 26-year-old is capable of advancing to a top-six club and may actively seek such a move in order to fulfill his England dreams.
Toney would not come cheap, but United have long needed a younger center-forward. Those wonderful players will never be inexpensive.
The former Newcastle striker has five goals in eight Premier League outings this season, maintaining his strong form from previous season, when he scored 14 times.
According to The Times, Ronaldo’s reiterated desire to depart in January may force United to abandon their approach of recruiting elderly forwards. They have a key objective in Toney.
3. Cody Gakpo
While Antony was a target for United in the dying days of the summer transfer window, PSV winger Cody Gakpo was also on the radar. The Dutchman was widely thought to be no substitute for Antony, and the Premier League team could try to sign both players.
Despite approaches from Southampton, Gakpo remained with his Eredivisie team. The 22-year-old can play all forward positions, including No. 9.
This season, he has already scored a whopping ten goals in 14 games across all competitions. This is on top of nine assists. Those figures will be quite appealing to the United leadership.
4. Tammy Abraham
Tammy Abraham arguably be the most absurd transfer target United could pursue in January. The England international is a fan favorite at Roma and has stated numerous times that he is enjoying his time in Italy.
But every player has a price – even if it’s more than £80 million. With only two goals this season, Abraham is vying for a spot in England’s World Cup roster. A post-tournament move appears unlikely, but United could pursue it.
