Amidst all the sound and fury surrounding Manchester United's midfield rebuild and the continuing search for a third midfielder, manager Michael Carrick's need to find one more striker ahead of the upcoming campaign got lost. As per reports, Joshua Zirkzee's exit is almost certain and his sale may directly fund the arrival of his successor.
The Red Devils are willing to let the Dutch striker leave on a loan deal, given the other party is open to a buy clause, reports claimed.
According to reports, the strikers being tracked by Manchester United are no secret, with Galatasaray's Nigerian centre-forward Victor Osimhen among them. Türkiye's most lethal striker is reportedly open to a move, but it is not known how much his club will demand. The 27-year-old former Napoli man is contracted until 2029 and is highly unlikely to come cheap. If United remain true to their policy of "pocket-friendly purchases only", as witnessed in the case of midfielders, getting Osimhen will be a tough job.
Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins is another name that is being linked to United by several outlets, despite concerns over the financial side. Again, given the Premier League experience and skillsets of the Englishman, he is not likely to come cheap.
Aston Villa need money to complete the Nicolas Jackson transfer, which is likely to be a club-record bid, and they are willing to let go of Watkins, TeamTalk said in a report. As per the report, United were planning to spend a sum around £40 million for Watkins. However, Villa will demand much more than that for their experienced campaigner, which may once again go against the principles of not breaking the bank for a single player.
Former Juventus forward Dušan Vlahović, who is currently without a club, has also been shortlisted by United, TeamTalk said in a report. The 26-year-old Serbian is not in the best touch but comes with experience. He has 68 goals for the Turin club to his credit and may become the ideal partner for Benjamin Šeško at Old Trafford.
Interestingly, Zirkzee is linked to Juventus, and if the move happens, the club have a chance to help Vlahović find a new home. However, there are no believable reports yet on United trying to get in touch with his camp.
