Manchester United failed to score 50 goals in the Premier League last season as they finished in an abysmal 15th position.
Red Devils manager, Ruben Amorim is desperate to add goals to his team hence the signings of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo who had a combined 35 goals.
With Joshua Zirkzee and Ramus Hojlund not trusted to led the line next season, Softfootball takes a look at the three strikers currently linked with a move to Manchester United and picks the best suited to the team now.
Benjamin Šeško (22-year-old)
Šeško scored 13 goals with 5 assists in 33 appearances in the 2024-25 Bundesliga for RB Leipzig. The young striker has an Erling Haaland-esque speed and stature.
Šeško’s stature helps him to play the role of a target man, holding the ball up, bringing team-mates into play and providing an outlet for long passes, crosses and set-piece deliveries.
Šeško sees Haaland as a huge motivation and never shy away from talking about the Norwegian. The respect went to another level after the pair went head-to-head with their countries in September 2022.
According to reports via Bundesliga, he said:
“He’s an amazing player, I’ve big respect for him and I usually watch many YouTube videos about him.
“I’m very happy I received Haaland’s jersey. I want [to] keep it for my jersey collection. He also said ‘well played’, I was very happy.”
Nicolas Jackson (24-year-old)
In the 2024/25 season, Jackson made 30 Premier League appearances for the Blues and scored 13 goals, making him the second-highest scorer for the club in the Premier League, behind Cole Palmer.
He also contributed 5 assists in the league. He was also part of the Chelsea squad that won the Conference League and the Club World Cup.
Jackson is a dynamic striker known for his pace, dribbling skills, and ability to create chances, both for himself and his teammates. He’s often compared to Neymar due to his flair and agility.
While he can play as a traditional number nine, his game also involves dropping deep to link up play and using his pace to run in behind defenders. The Chelsea striker is very open to a move to Manchester United this summer.
Ollie Watkins (29-year-old)
In the 2024/25 Premier League season, Ollie Watkins scored 16 goals in 38 appearances for Aston Villa, according to StatMuse. He also contributed 8 assists, resulting in a total of 24 goals and assists for the season.
Watkins is a versatile and dynamic striker known for his pace, intelligent runs, and ability to link play. He excels at attacking from the left half-space, often drifting inside to shoot or create opportunities.
While he can be a threat in the air and in one-on-one situations, his movement and ability to exploit space behind defenses are key aspects of his game. Watkins is quick and likes to run at defenders, making him a constant threat, especially when attacking space in behind.
The former Brentford forward makes clever runs, both to receive passes and to create space for teammates. He can play as a traditional striker, a winger cutting inside, or even a deeper playmaker, making him adaptable to different systems.
Watkins has shown a good ability to finish with both feet and head, including curling shots, one-on-one situations, and aerial duels. He is capable of dropping deep to link play and bring others into the attack.
Perfect striker for Man United now
Softfootball believes Watkins will be the perfect striker for Man United now because of his experience. It could be compared to when Sir Alex Ferguson brought in a 35-year-old Henrik Larsson back in 2007 to help mentor Wayne Rooney for a season and it turned out very well.
Players like Hojlund, Chido-Obi and Zirkzee can benefit a lot from playing with Watkins and watching how he takes care of himself on and off the pitch.
Having Watkins, Cunha and Mbeumo will surely improve Man United’s attack and help the Red Devils finish better than the 15th position they had last season.
