Manchester United’s underwhelming season has been brutally underlined by a lack of prowess in their attacking line as goals remain difficult to come by under Ruben Amorim.
Despite scoring three goals in two of their last three Premier League fixtures, the Red Devils have netted just 37 across the league campaign, ranking below 17th-placed Wolves in goals for ranking them 14th this season.
The goalscoring burden across the frontline appeared to fall almost exclusively to Amad Diallo prior to his long-term injury, netting 6 goals and 6 assists in the league – a tally which has only been matched by Rasmus Hojlund, Joshua Zirkzee and Alejandro Garnacho combined.
Struggling Manchester United forward drawing interest from Italy
Of all the criticism poked at United’s frontline, strikers Hojlund and Zirkzee have perhaps faced the worst – although discussion around the Dutchman has since died down after a number of improved performances in recent weeks.
Hojlund ended a streak of over 20 games without a goal when he opened the scoring in a 0-3 win at Leicester City over the weekend, although speculation has continued to grow regarding his long-term future as Amorim’s first-choice striker.
The 22-year-old’s struggles have seen an upturn in rumours regarding a move away from Old Trafford in the summer, with Amorim reportedly assessing his options ahead of the upcoming transfer window.
According to Italian outlet Gazzetta Dello Sport, Napoli are looking to make a move for the Danish international as they plan for the permanent departure of talisman Victor Osimhen, ranked at no.8 in FourFourTwo’s list of the best strikers in the world right now.
The Red Devils will reportedly demand a fee totalling €60 million, a sizeable loss from the initial €72 million outlay paid to Atalanta in 2023, although it is believed Napoli will be unwilling to match such a price.
The Italian giants find themselves in a Serie A title race buoyed by former United man Scott McTominay, while question marks remain around on-loan striker Romelu Lukaku
Other reports suggest a striker is high on United’s priority list this summer, meaning a potential swap deal involving Osimhen and Hojlund cannot be ruled out at this stage.
Other targets include RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, Liam Delap and Hugo Etikete, although available finances remain a major stumbling block around summer plans.
