Man United are close to sign their own Erling Haaland, Sheikh Jassim has granted his approval.
Manchester United are certain to acquire a new striker this summer, with Sheikh Jassim endorsing the Glazers’ plans to move forward with transfer activity despite the possibility of a takeover.
Sheikh Jassim endorsed the Glazers’ plans to pursue Manchester United transfer business over the weekend, according to reports. And, with a new striker on the horizon, Erik ten Hag is determined to sign someone to compete with Erling Haaland. The major question, however, is who will land at Old Trafford…
Manchester United had a chance to sign Haaland. On at least two times.
During his tenure at Molde, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer proposed signing the Norwegian international, but the club turned down a £4 million bid.
And the Manchester United legend was keen to sign his countrymen in January 2020, only for Borussia Dortmund to win the player that year instead.
Fast forward to now, and Ten Hag is looking for a new striker.
He is aware that Anthony Martial is too prone to injury to be counted on, and that Wout Weghorst will return to Burnley after his loan term expires.
The Glazers were said to be plotting a ‘massive market assault’ over the weekend.
It was also stated that Sheikh Jassim had approved of the plan, with the Qatari billionaire still intending to take over the club.
United are considering three candidates to offset Haaland’s threat at the Etihad Stadium.
Harry Kane appears to be their top target, with the Tottenham forward continuing to thrive despite another disappointing season.
Spurs may have fought Chelsea for a place in the top half of the standings if it hadn’t been for his 28 Premier League goals.
Tottenham will not want to lose Kane, especially to a rival like Manchester United.
But if their talisman decides to leave, as he did two years ago, Daniel Levy will be forced to make a difficult choice.
Kane’s contract expires in a year and a fee of £80 million has been proposed.
However, given his age – the striker is 29 – and Tottenham’s refusal to budge, United may be forced to go elsewhere.
Victor Osimhen is another player on their radar.
This season, the Nigeria international has been spectacular for Napoli, scoring 23 goals to help the club win its first Serie A title since 1990.
Osimhen earlier declined a move to Manchester United out of respect for Odion Ighalo.
Nonetheless, he’s grown since that failed transfer in 2020 and appears to be a player tailor-made for Ten Hag’s team.
However, Napoli will not let their star man leave without a fight, despite reports that he may cost up to £100 million.
And whether United would pay that much for a player with no Premier League experience remains to be seen.
Dusan Vlahovic, a Juventus striker, is the Red Devils’ third option.
When the Serbian international joined the Old Lady from Fiorentina in the January transfer window of 2022, big things were expected of him.
However, while Vlahovic remains a deadly striker, he has been inconsistent during his time in Turin.
United were told to sign the striker during Ralf Rangnick’s tenure as manager, but the board turned down the German’s offer.
However, interest appears to be continuing behind the scenes, and it’s likely that United will try to complete a deal towards the end of the season.
Haaland may be found in City.
And Ten Hag knows he wants his own version of the Norway international if his team is to compete for Premier League supremacy in the future.
