Amorim Still Wants a New Striker for Manchester United

CHICAGO, WEDNESDAY – Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim is not entirely satisfied with the acquisition of two forwards in this summer's transfer market. Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo have already been added to the "Red Devils" shopping list, but Amorim still wishes to add at least one more forward. Be cautious of wastefulness, Amorim.

Last season, MU concluded the competition campaign in the lowest position since the Premier League era. Amorim could only watch as his team finished in 15th place with a total of 42 points.

The Red Devils are 24 points behind Newcastle United, who are in fifth place, the last position for the UEFA Champions League zone. A mere 11 victories from 38 matches also marks their lowest record of positive results in the Premier League.

The lack of goals is the main culprit behind the performance of the Red Devils, making them comparable to an average team. They have only scored 44 goals, averaging 1.16 goals per match, which is very poor for a team as large as MU.

They are trailing by more than 20 goals in the top five teams. In fact, MU is 42 goals behind their eternal rival, Liverpool, who won the English League title last season.

Undoubtedly, Amorim quickly took action to bring in two quality forwards. Cunha and Mbeumo instill confidence in MU fans for the resurgence of their beloved team in the 2025-2026 season.

Cunha has proven himself to be a prolific striker. His 15 goals and six assists in 33 Premier League appearances last season confirm that Cunha is no ordinary striker. Without him, Wolverhampton Wanderers would likely be relegated.

Meanwhile, Mbeumo was the dark horse in the hunt for the top scorer of the English Premier League last season. Mbeumo became one of five forwards who scored at least 20 goals in the previous edition of the top-tier English competition.

Although Aston Villa remain unwilling to sell Watkins, United believe a £45 million (Rp 987 billion) fee might be enough to tempt them. - Daily Mail -

Mbeumo's achievement of 20 goals is only surpassed by Erling Haaland (22 goals), Alexander Isak (23), and Mohamed Salah (29). The performance of the 25-year-old player is further enhanced by a record of eight assists.

With such impressive statistics, the two forwards arrived at Old Trafford not to be benchwarmers. Certainly, it would be a great waste if Cunha and Mbeumo are not maximized by Amorim while wearing the MU jersey.

In two friendly matches in Sweden and the United States, MU did not perform well. They were held to a goalless draw by Leeds United and then only managed to win 2-1 against West Ham United.

The two goals scored in "Uncle Sam's Country" didn't come from the striker, but rather from the skipper, Bruno Fernandes. Cunha, who played in both matches, still hasn't shown his sharpness.

Rasmus Hojlund also failed to impress Amorim and the Red Devils fans who filled the stands. Meanwhile, Mbeumo has not been given playing time by Amorim due to fitness issues. The striker from Cameroon is scheduled to play in the exhibition match against Everton on August 4.

Unsurprisingly, Amorim is still desperate to bring in a new striker. According to a report in Wednesday's (July 30, 2025) edition of The Daily Mail, Manchester United is targeting an additional center-forward, either Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa) or Benjamin Sesko (RB Leipzig).

The two forwards have become alternatives after Amorim's primary target for the number nine position, Liam Delap, has joined Chelsea. Furthermore, Alexander Isak from Newcastle United and Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea are valued very highly and are difficult to reach given MU's current financial situation.

"Although Aston Villa remain unwilling to sell Watkins, United believe a fee of £45 million (Rp 987 billion) might be enough to persuade them to let the England international leave," wrote the Daily Mail.

Sesko is on the wanted list due to being younger. Sesko is only 22 years old, while Watkins is set to turn thirty at the end of December. However, Watkins has considerable experience in the Premier League, which is highly favored by Amorim.

Since defending Villa in the English League 2020-2021, Watkins has consistently scored double-digit goals, including 16 goals in the 2024-2025 season. In addition, Watkins also has an excellent fitness level. The quantity of his matches over the last five seasons has reached more than 40 matches per season.

The desire to acquire Watkins or Sesko signals that Cunha and Mbeumo will play the role of hole strikers in the 3-4-2-1 scheme. Consequently, Fernandes will be returned to the midfielder position.

Before creating his dream squad, Amorim must brainstorm to find fresh funds from the sale of forwards who are not part of MU's game plan, such as Jadon Sancho, Antony, and Alejandro Garnacho.

"At this moment, we need to be very careful about signing players. With Bryan (Mbeumo) and Matheus (Cunha), we're definitely better," Amorim told Sky Sports.

He added, "I am happy to welcome other players. I like having more options in one position. If they have to compete with each other to play, that is the perfect condition for me."

Mason Mount, the midfielder of MU, is optimistic that MU will achieve better results in the upcoming season. The reason is the thorough preparation period with Amorim.

"We have a lot of time to train tactically. We couldn't achieve that last season due to playing many matches. Therefore, it was very difficult for the manager to realize his ideas," said Mount as quoted by the club's website.

In addition to strikers, Amorim is also reported to want Manchester United to compete for the signature of Newcastle United goalkeeper, Nick Pope. Amorim needs a goalkeeper who can provide healthy competition for Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir.