Five U23 forwards Rangnick should sign to revitalise Man Utd's attack next season

Stefan Bienkowski

• 12 Feb 2022 11:01 GMT
• 8 min read

Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick has confirmed that the club will probably have to sign a young striker in the summer transfer window.

Edinson Cavani is set to leave the club at the end of the season when his contract comes to an end and Cristiano Ronaldo has just turned 37.

As such, Man Utd may need some fresh legs ahead of next season and that’s certainly what Rangnick has suggested.

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"This is obvious," Rangnick said. "Edinson’s contract is running out in the summer and the club needs the best possible centre forward.

“This is an obvious one. I think everyone is aware of that."

So which young forwards across European football would be the best fit for the Old Trafford side next season?

Erling Haaland

When Rangnick hinted at Manchester United needing a young striker in the summer, most fans would have immediately thought of Borussia Dortmund forward Erling Haaland.

Not only is the Norway international just 21 years old, but he’s also quickly become one of Europe’s most lethal goal scorers.

It remains to be seen whether Haaland will leave Dortmund this summer and whether Man Utd could entice him to Old Trafford, but he’ll undoubtedly be top of any shortlist of strikers for the club.

Victor Osimhen

If Man Utd aren’t confident in signing Haaland, they could perhaps turn their attention to Serie A, where Napoli currently have an outstanding young striker in the form of Victor Osimhen.

Since making the move from Lille to Napoli in 2020, the Nigerian forward has gone from strength to strength in the Italian top flight with no less than 16 goals and five assists in 38 games. And this season alone has seen him bag 10 goals in just 17 games.

However, like Haaland, Osimhen would likely cost a sizable sum to sign in the summer, with the Napoli star currently valued at around €36 million.

Alexander Isak

Another player that will inevitably be linked with a move to the Old Trafford club is none other than Real Sociedad striker Alexander Isak.

The Sweden international has been touted as a future Arsenal or Barcelona player for some time and it’s not hard to see why, considering he’s already bagged eight goals in 27 games for his Spanish side this season.

At just 22 years of age, Isak undoubtedly comes across as an ideal long-term signing for Man Utd in the summer.

Patson Daka

If Man Utd would prefer to sign a young player that has already proven himself in the Premier League then they may want to take a closer look at Leicester City striker Patson Daka.

Although the former RB Salzburg forward hasn’t yet dislodged Jamie Vardy from his No.9 spot in Brendan Rodgers’ side, the Zambia international has still done remarkably well when offered the chance to show his qualities for the Foxes.

So far this season Daka has bagged nine goals and four assists from just 21 appearances for Leicester and at 23 years of age he’s still got bags of potential.

Jonathan Burkardt

If Rangnick would prefer to dip back into a market that he knows remarkably well, then he would most likely be looking at young Bundesliga star Jonathan Burkardt.

The 21-year-old Mainz forward has been one of the German top-flight’s most impressive strikers this season, with no less than 10 goals and four assists to his name already in this current campaign.

Burkardt has been linked with moves to bigger German clubs but Man Utd could potentially spare themselves a lot of bother and money in the future by swooping for the young German talent this summer.