Man Utd eye €100m striker who DESTROYED De Ligt amid Gyokeres doubts

Tom Weber

Updated: 18 Feb 2025 11:03 GMT
4 min read

Manchester United are homing in on Samu Aghehowa as an alternative No.9 option should they miss out on their top targets, according to a report.

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The Porto striker has been prolific this season and it was perhaps a blessing in disguise for Samu that his summer transfer to Chelsea fell through. The 20-year-old has netted a whopping 18 goals in 29 appearances so far this term.

Earlier in the season, Samu left Man Utd stunned with his two-goal performance in the Europa League in which he "caused [Matthijs] de Ligt absolute nightmares" in the words of former Red Devils star Owen Hargreaves.

Since then, Man Utd have been keeping tabs on his development and scouts were in attendance to watch him earlier this month when Porto drew 1-1 with Sporting CP.

Indeed, according to GIVEMESPORT, the Spain international is viewed as a viable alternative to Man Utd's top targets like Victor Osimhen and Viktor Gyokeres, who only came on as a substitute in the Porto clash as he had been dealing with fitness issues.

Samu to Man Utd?

There are doubts about Man Utd's attractiveness to peak-age superstars like the above-mentioned pair of strikers. Both Gyokeres and Osimhen are 26 and are determined to play for clubs regularly competing in the Champions League and challenging for titles.

Moreover, both will cost in the region of €70 million to €75m, which is currently simply not affordable for Man Utd. If they sell players in the summer, they may be able to cough up the necessary funds, but at present, there is no chance of them being able to sign either.

Samu is therefore a different option they are considering, but a similar problem may arise here too. The 20-year-old has a €100m release clause and even if Porto were to agree to a lower fee, he would still be anything but a bargain.

Right now, Atletico Madrid still retain 50 per cent of the highly-rated youngster's rights, so they essentially have a 50 per cent sell-on clause. Porto have the option to increase their share by 15 per cent each year in exchange for €5m up to a maximum of 80 per cent of his rights.

So even if Man Utd would not have to pay €100m for Samu, they would nevertheless have to part with a pretty penny to ensure that Porto make an adequate profit given that Atletico are owed a significant chunk of his future fee.

Porto paid just €15m for Samu, but they only recently overcame some worrying financial troubles thanks to the January sales of Galeno to Al-Ahli and Nico Gonzalez to Man City, so they will be sure to flip one of their most-prized assets for a considerable premium.