-
News
- 16 minutes ago
Osimhen? Gyokeres? Amorim's BEST striker has been at Man Utd all along
Suraj Radia
- Updated: 13 Jun 2025 18:11 BST
- 5 min read
Analysis
Manchester United’s biggest problem last season was scoring goals and it has led to Ruben Amorim making a striker one of his highest priorities of the summer…but his true number nine could have been at the club all along.
United have already splashed out €74 million to sign Matheus Cunha from Wolves, with the Brazilian set to feature on the left side of Amorim’s attack, while they are hoping they can beat Tottenham to the signing of Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo to add firepower on the right flank.
Compared
Bryan Mbeumo
F (CR), M (R)
Brentford
Bryan Mbeumo
F (CR), M (R)
Brentford
VS
Matheus Cunha
AM, F (C)
Wolverhampton
Matheus Cunha
AM, F (C)
Wolverhampton
2024/2025
Season Statistics
2024/2025
| 42 | Appearances | 36 |
| 20 | Goals | 17 |
| 9 | Assists | 6 |
With a combined 35 goals and 11 assists from Cunha and Mbeumo, the pair could solve United’s need for a Premier League-proven goalscorer, although there is still a desire to sign a striker to compete with Rasmus Hojlund if the 22-year-old remains at the club.
Indeed, Hojlund’s four league goals last season is significantly below the standards expected, even if he is given two of the division’s top attackers either side of him but United’s problem will be trying to afford an upgrade on the Dane if they splash out another €60-70m on Mbeumo.
STATS
Rasmus Højlund
F (C)
Man Utd
Rasmus Højlund
F (C)
Man Utd
A failure to secure European football next season has left United with limited spending power and the remaining standout strikers on the market, such as Victor Osimhen, Viktor Gyokeres or Hugo Ekitike, would command €70m-plus fees – simply unaffordable without a major sale, of which none appear to be close.
Therefore, United’s only hope may be to find a hidden bargain somewhere or turn to their captain to once again be the team’s saviour in a completely different role.
Bruno Fernandes – captain, leader…false nine?
Bruno Fernandes was United’s only player last season who could escape the season without feeling crippling shame after contributing to 18 of their 44 league goals, but despite his performances, the Portuguese star may not have a natural role in Amorim’s new-look side.
With Cunha and, assumably, Mbeumo as the wide options in Amorim’s three-pronged attack, Fernandes will likely play in a deeper two-man midfield, however the 30-year-old has shown limitations in that role.
Fernandes’ commitment to attack often leaves his midfield partner left fending on his own, while the United skipper’s high-risk playstyle saw his short passing exposed during his side’s Europa League final loss to Tottenham, where he had a team-worst 68.5% pass completion rate.
Yet Fernandes’ creativity and elite movement could make him an intriguing false nine under Amorim, particularly while opening space for two natural inside forwards with a proven ability to score goals.
United could get the best out of their big money signings and solve their striker issue in one tactical shift by playing Fernandes as a nine and avoiding the awkwardness of their best player and captain being seen as a liability in a midfield that doesn’t suit his strengths.
While United would still like to sign a natural nine as an option, if the appropriate one isn’t available, they could instead focus those resources on finding a more mobile, deeper-lying midfielder, for which they have been desperate to sign for years, or even a goalkeeper, which also appears necessary.
Much, however, will depend on the rest of the summer, with Mbeumo still having no guarantees to sign, while United will hope they can raise enough funds to address all their issues through the sales of players like Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and Antony.
But the question does remain of where Fernandes best fits in Amorim’s revamped team, particularly after turning down a staggering offer from Al-Hilal, which may have solved all their problems, and the United captain may need to reinvent his game in order to provide the maximum impact and avoid his side having yet another failed season.
Football transfer news headlines today
EXCLUSIVE: Arsenal BREAKTHROUGH in Benjamin Sesko transfer
EXCLUSIVE: Gyokeres agent furious as Sporting hike transfer price after Man United approach
Nico Williams blows Arsenal and Chelsea away after TENSE update
EXCLUSIVE: Arsenal face key Sesko decision that could unlock Rodrygo signing
The FootballTransfers app
Check out FootballTransfers' new app for all of football's big storylines, transfer rumours and exclusive news in one convenient place directly on your mobile device.
The FootballTransfers app is available on Google Play and in the Apple App Store. Download here:
