Kane, Sesko or Osimhen? Ranking Man Utd’s No.9 options

Robin Bairner

• 23 Jan 2023 12:48 GMT
• 4 min read

Manchester United will be in the market for a centre forward in the summer, with Erik ten Hag in need of a long-term replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo to lead the line.

Wout Weghorst has arrived at the club as a sticking plaster on loan from Burnley, and with little prospect of the Glazer brothers, the outgoing owners of the club, buying this month, it leaves a significant question mark over who will be added to the squad.

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What is known, though, is that the Red Devils are tracking several players closely and will be keeping an eye on others – but who is the likeliest No.9 to wind up playing in their red next term?

Here is FootballTransfers’ power ranking, counting down from the least likely of the touted names to the most probable.

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5. Harry Kane – Tottenham

Manchester United have wanted Harry Kane for years and this summer appeared to be their best chance of landing him. However, the prolific Tottenham striker is open to contract talks with Tottenham, according to The Athletic.

On top of this, he would require a substantial up-front investment in terms of his transfer fee, which any new owner may be reticent to spend such a fee on one position when there are younger and more-cost efficient options out there.

Of course, long-term questions over Spurs’ project dovetailing with the resurgence of Man Utd under Ten Hag mean that such a deal cannot be entirely ruled out, but there are some major hurdles to cross if Kane is to finally be lured away from Tottenham.

4. Victor Osimhen – Napoli

Another player Man Utd have been linked with for a long period, Osimhen has been on fire in Serie A with Napoli over the course of his stay in Italy.

United are closely monitoring the 24-year-old, who is under contract until 2025, meaning that is transfer value remains high. This, combined with interest from several different clubs, means that Man Utd are likely to face an expensive fight to land the former Lille attacker.

3. Goncalo Ramos – Benfica

Portugal’s top flight has brought several successful players to England in recent years, with Bruno Fernandes perhaps the most obvious example. After landing the creative playmaker from Sporting, United are linked with a move for the Benfica forward, who has thrived since Darwin Nunez was sold to Liverpool.

Benfica are no mugs when it comes to selling, though, and the price that they are likely to ask for the 21-year-old forward is likely to be an expensive one. If Man Utd change owners before the summer, it’s a deal that the Red Devils could well be tempted by, but if not, he may prove too lavish an operation for the Glazers.

2. Wout Weghorst – Burnley

So it’s not been a great start to his Old Trafford career by Weghorst, the surprise January transfer arrival from Burnley, but the ball is in his court when it comes to secure an Old Trafford stay. If he performs well in the next four months, he will surely be retained given the operation would be comparatively cheap.

Instead of simply signing Weghorst alone, it may well be the Dutchman and another centre forward to act as the first-choice No.9.

1. Benjamin Sesko – Red Bull Salzburg

Teenage forward Benjamin Sesko has been tracked by Man Utd since the summer, and though he still only has 10 senior league goals to his name, he is a player that the recruitment team clearly love.

He has a massive opportunity for growth and could be readily moulded into Ten Hag’s plans.

United may have to pay over the odds for the 19-year-old, who celebrates his next birthday on 31 May, but given his age, that could be seen as worthwhile in this case.