These are going to be realistic btw, no more Gyokeres or Osimhen talk, unfortunately 😔.
No 9 is a position that we've needed to improve upon for many years. While Cristiano Ronaldo and Edi Cavani did a good job of putting the ball in the back of the net, their times at the club were short-lived.
Since then, we've had a young, potentially good striker in Rasmus Hojlund lead the line. The problem with him is that while he has the age and longevity over Ronaldo and Cavani, he doesn't have the pedigree, or experience, or winning mentality, or ability to score.
Yeah 😐.
Considering between our two centre-forwards we only scored 13 goals, a new striker is absolutely essential. Here are my top 3 picks that I believe tick a lot (if not all) the boxes we need to help elevate our game:
3. Jean-Phillipe Mateta - the best of the rest
This guy isn't a player who gets me on the edge of my seat. He isn't a player that I would be too excited about if he joined United.
The Crystal Palace man had a strong 24/25 campaign at Selhurst Park scoring a healthy 17 goals and grabbing 4 assists en route to helping the Eagles lift the FA Cup, their first-ever major trophy, and qualify for European football, a first-ever for the club as well.
Manager Oliver Glasner has transformed the 28 year old into a force to be reckoned with as in 93 games before the Austrian's arrival, Mateta had scored just 16 goals. Since Glasner became Palace boss, the Frenchman has score 30 times in 59 games. A swing of 14 more goals in 34 fewer games.
His links to MUFC have been there since the start of the window but Fabrizio Romano has stated that "United considered Mateta as one of the options at the start of the window but never proceeded. For the striker position, they have three to four options, but it will depend on how much they can spend, as well as sales" via UtdTruthful.
Reports suggest different price tags when talking about Mateta to United. Some say £40m, others £25m - £30m with there even being talk of potentially going as high as £60m! This may be down to the fact that his current deal ends in June 2027. Palace do not wish to sell their star striker unless they get the money they want.
Would he work in Amorim's 3-4-3 though?
Well, he firstly is a good focal point given his large size of 6'4" and physical strength. Bro is quite a big lad. However, other than physicality and having strong movement into channels, Mateta doesn't offer much else.
We know that Amorim wants his striker to be intense in the press and initiate that press. That isn't something that the 28 year old is good at. His overall work rate is probably not the level we want.
He's decent in the link-up play but is more of a box-focused type of striker, not one who will run in behind. Mateta is also not the fastest of players which can be seen as a bit of a deficiency.
When it comes to his first touch, he's closer to Romelu Lukaku than Dimitar Berbatov.
Mateta is at least not injury prone which is a positive as well.
His attributes suggest to me a striker who is more of a backup rather than the main man, someone who can come in and do a job for a club like United even with his Premier League experiece.
I wouldn't be too keen on Mateta as he doesn't fill me with much confidence that he will take us to the next level. He is gettable but not someone who should lead the line at Old Trafford.
2. Benjamin Sesko - the exciting (but risky) one
This Slovenian striker excites me more than any of the other realistic available no 9s out there.
This isn't the first time we've been linked to Sesko as United had the choice between him and a certain Rasmus Hojlund back in 2023. Obviously we made the choice we made with some thinking we should've chosen otherwise 😐.
22 year old Sesko has been around for quite some time despite his young age. He's been operating in Germany for RB Leipzig for the last two seasons in which time he's scored a total of 27 goals in 64 Bundesliga matches. Not the best of returns if I'm being completely honest, although he is young and Leipzig are hardly Bayern Munich even if they are playing in a weak league, with all due respect.
As I said, this isn't the first time this striker and United have been mentioned together but ever since the likes of Viktor Gyokeres, Victor Osimhen and Hugo Ekitike were out of the question as potential striker options, United have had to start looking down the list in terms of their no 9 targets.
You know some of the players we've been linked to 👀.
Sesko wasn't really the player associated with United until all of these other targets disappeared as well as Arsenal preferring Gyokeres over the Leipzig man. Now that potentially both he (Sesko) and MUFC appear desperate, they could perhaps find each other.
However, one of the reasons for the Gunners to say no to him was because of the asking price. Some reports do suggest a decent fee in the region of £60m - £65m while others talk about something in excess of £70m.
Another reason for these high asking prices is because he extended his current deal to run until June 2029.
The good thing for United is that we may have a free run at this player. With the other clubs who were linked to him having signed other strikers, we may be the only club that is in for him and who could afford him. That may help make things easier for us.
Can he perform in Amorim's system?
Sesko certainly provides pace and power which can be brilliant for counters and transitions as he can stretch defenses. Off the ball, he's strong as well as he looks to make diagonal runs which work in Amorim's style.
The Slovenian is also 1.95m tall displaying a strong aerial threat. Balls into him whether from goal kicks or crosses into the box could add another dimention to our game, something that both Hojlund and Zirkzee struggle with despite being pretty tall themselves.
The 22 year old has decent finishing especially instinctive, is good in the link-up play with his back to goal, and one of his better and more important traits, is that heis really good in the press. Amorim wants his striker to initiate it and be aggressive which is what Sesko brings to the table.
However he isn't the most creative (which might not be a big problem given the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Amad, Matheus Cunha and now Bryan Mbeumo in the side), is not the best in tight spaces, has a first touch that needs improving as it can be frustrating particularly in the build-up play, and he doesn't have much experience let alone in the Premier League.
There is a chance of him working in the 3-4-3 but he does need to improve a few aspects of his game. It would also depend on his teammates because Sesko is a pure no 9 and relies on the creativity of others to help him score the goals.
I wouldn't mind him especially if we can get that price tag to a decent amount, he will have the potential to be here for the long-term given his young age of 22, isn't injury prone and will be exciting but as he isn't the most prolific nor a proven striker, he will be quite the risk. If United also have to spend £80m+ on him, it could be an expensive risk and one that we've done before with Hojlund.
I see those two as similar profiles and we aren't in a position to be taking risks. I would back him of course but I'd rather this guy 👇
1. Ollie Watkins - realistic, proven, experienced
Not a name that I would've associated as a potential striker for United before the window but nor is he a player that I wouldn't mind at Old Trafford.
Watkins is a name that has surfaced this window after other striker options have gone abegging, similarly to the likes of Nicolas Jackson and Dominic Calvert-Lewin. We CANNOT be signing either of them ❌!
The English striker is the oldest of the three on this list at 29 but isn't so old that he is past his prime. What that age means though, is that he has a lot of experience and a lot of PL experience at that as well.
The striker has been in the Premier League for 5 years playing for Brentford before moving to Villa. The reason he is an option for United is that he and good ebening Unai Emery apparently don't see eye-to-eye after the forward had limited game time last season. He told reporters that he was "fuming" after being left on the bench for Marcus Rashford of all players during some high profile matches in the Champions League.
So here we are.
The last two campaigns is where he's truly shone as in 107 matches across all competitions, Watkins scored 44 goals and had 29 assists which is a goal/assist ratio per game of 0.7. A very healthy return.
Is he a player who will fit into Amorim's 3-4-3?
I believe there is a strong case that he will.
Watkins is a player known for his high, aggressive pressing which is what the United boss is looking for in his striker. There is also an immense amount of work rate done by the 29 year old.
In the box, his awareness and positioning is top-notch as his instincts in the 18-yard area means that he is always in with a chance of putting the ball in the net. Rebounds and cutbacks are strengths of his as well.
Where he also excels in is his movement. Watkins has the ability to drag defenders out of position with smart runs. Another aspect Amorim would like about this player is his speed. Watkins is quite a pacy player meaning that he would be ideal for counters, transitions and runs in behind.
He is another who also likes to drop deep at times and link up the play with inside forwards. In this case, it will be Cunha and Mbeumo which could work well in this team as they could run beyond Watkins whenever he comes short.
Some of his weaknesses include not being the biggest nor strongest meaning he isn't much of a focal point resulting in easy wins for centre-backs. He lacks that height as well standing at just 1.8m tall which means crosses into the box may be an issue with him.
Watkins does have an issue with chance conversion as he is 3rd on the list for most big chances missed in the league last season with 20. Mateta interestingly enough is 6th with 17. Even other targets Jamie Vardy, Calvert-Lewin and Jackson are not far behind as well.
He is not the most injury prone however, which is another advantage. Despite his age of 29, we would get a good amount of football out of him.
Watkins could also provide that mentorship to the likes of Hojlund, Zirkzee and Chido Obi. We've complained specifically up front, of the lack of experienced players for the youngsters to learn from.
Laurie Whitwell of The Athletic said at the start of the month that Villa asked for £60m when Arsenal were linked to him. However, the Gunners valued him at £40m with his current deal expiring in June 2028. Would United be willing to pay such a price for him? Will we have the money?
Comparison of all three forwards:
Final Thoughts
They may not be the best strikers out there nor the ones we would've wanted but I believe these three are the best of a bad bunch who also happen to be realistic.
As you saw, my preferred option would be Watkins because he ticks more of the boxes of what's necessary, not least in terms of suitability into Amorim's system, and he is less of a risk at potentially a decent price.
But who would you take out of all the strikers we're linked with? Do you agree with my list? Lemme know below or DM on X, Insta or TikTok.
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Ruben Amorim is in need of a new striker | Ruben Amorim: Image credit: Getty Images via Goal