Manchester United just have a few weeks left to sort out their attacking options with the transfer window set to close.
The Red Devils could still lose the services of five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo after the Portuguese forward declared his desire to leave the club. Amid little interest in his services, it remains to be seen whether he will still be a Manchester United player come September’s deadline.
Despite that, they have been linked with a number of potential attacking recruits in the event of Ronaldo leaving. Take a look at the Red Devils’ full striker shortlist below and where potential deals currently stand.
Marko Arnautovic
One of the more surprise names linked with a switch to Old Trafford this summer, the Austrian was a familiar one having enjoyed spells with Stoke City and West Ham United. It was previously reported that the Red Devils had seen a €8million (£6.8m) offer rejected for the 33-year-old.
However, the club now appear highly unlikely to continue their pursuit of Arnautovic with fans having responded in less than glowing terms at the thought of a potential deal.
Joao Felix
On the topic of rejected bids, United have been slightly more ambitious with an offer for Atletico Madrid star Joao Felix. Reports in Spain have suggested that the La Liga giants have turned down a huge offer of £110m from Old Trafford.
Atleti are reportedly not keen on cashing in on one of their star assets and would only be tempted to sell should United meet Felix’s eye-watering £295m release clause. It appears unlikely that the Red Devils will be willing to meet that asking price so this deal looks one that has very little legs in it.
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Matheus Cunha
Whilst Felix appears unlikely to make the switch to the Premier League, one of his current teammates could potentially be a more realistic option. talkSPORT have reported that the Red Devils are closing in on a deal for Brazilian forward Matheus Cunha.
The former Hertha Berlin striker has not quite managed to hit the heights expected of him at the Wanda Metropolitano and could potentially be on the move this summer. He might not quite be the inspiring addition that the Red Devils need having only scored 20 league goals since 2018.
Alvaro Morata
Remaining in Madrid and there is a third Atletico Madrid striker that could potentially be on his way to Old Trafford - and another that will be familiar to fans of the Premier League. Reports have suggested that former Chelsea flop Alvaro Morata has emerged as a potential option for the Red Devils.
The Spaniard has spent the last two seasons on-loan with Italian club Juventus and it was suggested that the Old Lady were keen to once again secure his services on a permanent deal but that move is yet to go through, leaving United with an opportunity to secure his services. Atleti might yet want to keep Morata with the striker having scored twice on the opening day of the campaign.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Another name that will prick the ears up of Chelsea fans, the Gabonese is thought to be the subject of interest from the Blues as they too attempt to bolster their attacking options. The former Arsenal man of course struck up a cord with Thomas Tuchel during the duo’s time together at German giants Borussia Dortmund.
It was previously suggested that the Red Devils had entered the race for his services with Barcelona thought to be open to selling despite having only welcomed Aubameyang to the Camp Nou in January.
Raul de Tomas
The final option currently plying their trade in Spain, 27-year-old forward Raul de Tomas has developed an excellent reputation with Espanyol over the last few seasons. He netted 17 goals last season, firing his side to a surprise sixth-placed finish.
COPE have suggested that discussions between Man Utd and Espanyol have already taken place, with a £25m price-tag being mooted - some way lower than the £60m release clause written into his current contract.
Jamie Vardy
It might seem an intriguing decision to replace the 37-year-old Ronaldo with the 35-year-old Jamie Vardy but the Leicester star has proven his goalscoring abilities over recent seasons. The former Fleetwood Town man has 133 Premier League goals to his name and could potentially be available sooner rather than later.
Vardy has just one year remaining on his current contract at the King Power Stadium but Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers has confirmed that talks to extend his stay with the club are already underway.
Christopher Nkunku
Another who looks unlikely to make the switch to Old Trafford due to his contractual situation - for the time being at least - is RB Leipzig star Christopher Nkunku. The Frenchman has harnessed the reputation as one of the most lethal forwards in world football over recent seasons - the 24-year-old's 35-goal haul seeing him win Bundesliga player of the season last term.
Alongside a number of Premier League rivals, Man Utd’s interest has been well known for some time but a deal in the near future appears to be off the table after Nkunku penned a new contract until 2026 earlier this year.
Victor Osimhen
At just the age of 23-years-old, Nigerian international Victor Osimhen is already making waves across European football. Having initially caught the eye for Lille in 2019, he went on to make a big-money move to Napoli a year later - a move that has proven to be a masterstroke.
Osimhen has scored 29 goals in just 63 matches since then - form that has captured admiring glances from across Europe. Man Utd are among those interested but this is another that appears unlikely due to Napoli’s eye-watering demands for his services.
Sasa Kalajdzic
With just one year remaining on his contract with current club VfB Stuttgart, Austrian international Kalajdzic could potentially be a very realistic option for the Red Devils. The 25-year-old has scored 23 goals for the German outfit over the last two seasons and still managed to score six league goals in just 13 starts across an injury-hit campaign last term.
Sky Sports have suggested that the striker is open to a move to Old Trafford this summer, with the Red Devils considering making a bid.
