Five strikers Man Utd could sign after missing out on Liam Delap including wildcard who is Mikel Arteta's biggest transfer mistake
The five strikers that Manchester United could sign after missing out on Ipswich Town's Liam Delap have been named.
Just hours after their brutal loss to Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final, reports emerge that Manchester United had entered the race to sign in-demand striker Delap this summer.
The Ipswich Town star, who is believed to have a £30million release clause in his contract, has been linked with several other clubs in recent weeks, but reportedly has decided to join Chelsea so that he can play European football next season.
With both Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee clearly not performing to the level that United want from them, they will almost certainly continue their pursuit of a new striker in the summer transfer window.
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But who are the strikers that Ruben Amorim could look to bring to Old Trafford?
With several of the Premier League's set to be active in the market, some of the best strikers in the world could be on the move this summer and, despite their dismal season, United will be one of the most attractive potential destinations for many players.
1 - Viktor Gyokeres - Sporting CP
Of all the strikers that have been linked with United this summer, perhaps none would make more sense than Sporting star Gyokeres.
Having coached Gyokeres at his former club, Amorim knows better than anyone how talented the Swedish international is and will no doubt be keen to bring him back to England.
In 52 appearances this season, Gyokeres has incredibly scored 54 goals while assisting 13, comfortably claiming the golden boot in the Portuguese league this season.
But, United will undoubtedly face stiff competition for Gyokeres' signature, with Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal all linked with a move in recent weeks.
2 - Jean-Philippe Mateta - Crystal Palace
Off the back of playing a vital role in Palace's spectacular win over Manchester City in the FA Cup final, Mateta could be set for the biggest move of his career.
The Frenchmen appears to have reached new peaks under Palace boss Oliver Glasner, scoring 14 Premier League goals this season.
With his current deal with the Eagles set to expire next summer, it is believed that Palace would accept as little as £40m for Mateta this season, making him well within United's budget.
3 - Mika Biereth - Monaco
Less than a year after leaving Arsenal, Danish international Biereth has revitalised his career.
The 22-year-old left north London to join Austrian club Sturm Graz for around £4m last summer, but later established himself as one of the most exciting players in Europe after moving to Monaco in a January deal worth an initial £10.8m.
Biereth scored three hat-tricks in February alone, finding the back of the net 10 times in his first 10 games for Monaco, finishing the season with a tally of 13 goals in 15 Ligue 1 games.
It's unclear whether Biereth would be open to move for the third time in 12 months, but if he makes it clear that he would be eager to return to England, United would almost certainly register their interest.
4 - Ollie Watkins - Aston Villa
With the emergence of Morgan Rogers and impressive loan spells from both Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford this season, Watkins' star power at Aston Villa appears to have waned.
After scoring 27 goals for Aston Villa in the 2023/24 season, Watkins has scored just 17 in this campaign and, although he made one more appearance, he played nearly 1000 minutes less.
Therefore, now may be the right time for the 29-year-old to make one more big move and United could be the perfect option.
For Amorim, bringing in an experience striker like Watkins would guarantee goals when needed, while also providing a good role model to Hojlund or Zirkzee should they stay at the club.
5 - Victor Osimhen - Napoli
On deadline day last summer, it looked almost certain that Osimhen would join Chelsea in a spectacular move from Napoli, but the deal ultimately fell through and the Nigerian international instead joined Galatasaray on a season-long loan.
Having seemingly fallen out of favour at the Serie A club, it's almost certain that the 26-year-old will again be keen to leave the club this summer, with the Premier League his ideal location.
Despite the forward thriving in Turkey, scoring 36 goals, including six in the Europa League, it is believed that Napoli could accept a cut-price deal to let Osimhen go in the summer, making United a realistic destination.
However, a recent report from transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has claimed that Osimhen is currently demanding that he keeps his current salary of €12m net, plus commissions, making a deal much more complicated financially.
Topics: Transfer News, Football, Premier League, Victor Osimhen, Napoli, Sporting CP, Ruben Amorim, Ollie Watkins, Crystal Palace, Man Utd
Ben McCrum