REVEALED: The six stars on Man Utd’s striker shortlist

Tom Hancock

Updated: 17 May 2023 21:23 BST
3 min read

Erik ten Hag, Man Utd, 2022/23 — © ProShots

Manchester United have identified six potential centre-forward signings as they continue their search for a new number nine.

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Harry Kane and Victor Osimhen appear to remain the favourites for a summer switch to Old Trafford – but four other strikes from the Bundesliga, Eredivisie and Serie A are said to be on Man Utd’s radar.

United side didn’t directly replace Cristiano Ronaldo in January, with loanee Wout Weghorst – who was never likely to be a long-term solution up front – their only attacking arrival during the last transfer window.

As such, Erik ten Hag and co. were always bound to be in the market this summer for a top-class option to lead the line.

According to Rob Dawson of ESPN, Man Utd have a six-name shortlist of Kane, Osimhen, Eintracht Frankfurt’s Randal Kolo Muani, Roma’s Tammy Abraham, Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic and – perhaps a surprise inclusion – Ajax’s Brian Brobbey.

Per our in-house Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) model, Kane would cost United the most of those six by a reasonable amount: Tottenham’s record scorer is currently rated at €89.8m (£77.9m) – ahead of Napoli star Osimhen, the leading scorer in Serie A this season, at €70m (£60.7m).

© ProShots - Osimhen has scored 28 goals in all competitions for Napoli this season

Daylight Brobbery?

At the opposite end of the scale, were Brobbey to make a surprise switch to Old Trafford, he ought to set Man Utd back a comparatively minuscule amount: the 21-year-old Dutch international has an ETV of €17.8m (£15.4m).

Brobbey has hardly been prolific this term, though, scoring just 12 goals for Ajax – while Abraham and Vlahovic have only nine and 13 four Roma and Juve respectively.

As for Kolo Muani, the French international has been in a fairly rich vein of form for Eintracht Frankfurt recently, finding the net six times in his last eight appearances.