With Liam Delap landing in Chelsea, people now wait to see who MU will target the journey to find a striker.
MU has clearly defined the fact that recruiting a number 9 is a top priority this summer, after they ended the second Premier League season in a row with the goalscorer difference. However, after missing Delap – who used to be the top goal – the Red Devils still have not closed the specific alternative plan.
Delap can be purchased at a release fee of £ 30 million this summer, a relatively easy deal to complete if he chose to return to Manchester and move to Old Trafford. However, the young 22 -year -old choosing Chelsea forced MU to change direction and so far, they have not found the right name.
It is not uncommon for names like Viktor Gyokeres (Sporting Lisbon), Victor Osimhen (Napoli) and Hugo Ekitike (Frankfurt) to continue to be “assigned” with MU. However, each of these players require a huge transfer fee.
In the context that MU has spent 62.5 million pounds for Matheus Cunha, and Brentford will likely scream the same price for Bryan Mbeumo, the liquidation of players to increase the shopping budget is mandatory. MU's transfer fund this summer is not as infinite as we imagined.
The unable to win tickets to the Champions League next season makes MU more carefully calculated in the recruitment stage. They cannot and should not continue to spend money like the past years. With not very positive reputation in shopping and pressure from the regulations on profit and sustainability (PSR), MU will need to be more wiser and streamlined in human resources decisions.
When the search for strikers has not brought a specific goal, MU cannot ignore Jonathan David – a quality striker about to become a free player. The Canadian player will officially leave Lille when the contract expires on June 30 and has not yet announced a new stop.
After scoring 25 goals in the 2024/25 season, Jonathan David – who owned one of the most impressive scoring records in Europe in recent years – is an extremely attractive plan for any team that needs striker. The 25 -year -old star pocketed 109 goals after 232 matches for Lille in 5 seasons and was not surprising that he was interested in many big clubs in Europe like Juventus, Napoli and Barca.
MU has also been able to contact David in the past few months when they searched for a stable goalscorer. Particularly in the 2024/25 season, David has participated in 37 goals of Lille, including 25 goals and 12 assists. Notably, 7 out of his 25 goals came in the Champions League, with goals against Real Madrid, Dortmund and Liverpool – demonstrating that this striker could shine at the highest level. In total, David had 10 goals after 18 appearances in the Champions League.
Therefore, many people who have expected David's future will be decided early this summer, because many teams are queuing his signature. However, David is currently focusing on the CONCACAF Gold Cup campaign with Canada, the tournament they have just started with a 6-0 destruction victory over Honduras.
By being busy playing internationally, David's new club decision may not be given immediately, meaning that MU still has the opportunity to show goodwill and effort to bring him back to Old Trafford. A striker like David rarely appears on the market in the form of free, and if he is thirsty for a stable striker, MU clearly cannot ignore.
The data shows that Jonathan David has scored at least 25 goals/season in the last 3 consecutive seasons, an amazing stability – something that MU attack is very lacking. As long as David has not found a stop, MU should continue to pursue to the end. Great opportunities like this do not always appear.