Manchester United wrapped up last season with a number that would unsettle any fan familiar with the club’s attacking history. Just 44 goals across 38 Premier League games, the weakest attack among the top ten and one of the most underwhelming offensive performances the team has had in years. It’s the kind of stat that doesn’t just show up on paper, it shows up in decisions. With Ruben Amorim now leading the rebuild, the club is out in the market looking for answers up front. But what’s really making noise isn’t who they want to bring in, it’s who’s being offered.
Jamie Vardy, Callum Wilson, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, all seasoned forwards well past their prime in the eyes of most top clubs, have been floated as possible signings. None has been signed yet, but just seeing their names in the conversation already says a lot about the current state of things. United, once again, looks like a club unsure of its direction. While rivals act quickly to snap up young, rising talent, United is weighing up options that feel more like temporary fixes than future solutions.
Between expensive targets and risky alternatives
According to Mail Sport, the club is tracking at least five potential forwards this summer. Viktor Gyökeres from Sporting is high on that list, but his move to Arsenal is reportedly well advanced, with a price tag in the £70 million range. Other names under consideration include Julian Álvarez, Hugo Ekitike, Ollie Watkins, and Victor Osimhen, each one with their own challenges.
Ekitike is already attracting attention from other Premier League clubs, which could easily turn into a bidding war. Osimhen comes with a massive price and wage demands that aren’t easy to handle. Watkins is central to Aston Villa’s project, and Álvarez won’t be leaving Atlético de Madrid unless a serious offer lands on the table.
With those targets looking either expensive or unlikely, United has started to consider lower-cost alternatives. Jamie Vardy, at 38, is without a club after leaving Leicester City following their relegation. Even at this stage in his career, he still managed nine goals in 35 games last season — which, surprisingly, puts him ahead of most of United’s current forwards.
Callum Wilson is also available after parting ways with Newcastle. He’s scored 88 goals in 239 Premier League appearances, a solid record by any standard. The concern, though, is his injury history. Last season, he started just three matches. Calvert-Lewin is still playing at Everton, but he’s struggled to stay fit and hasn’t returned to the level he showed during his best run.
United seems to be going around in circles
Bringing in any of these three wouldn’t change United’s level of play overnight, and it definitely wouldn’t generate excitement among fans. But the fact that they’re being seriously considered points to something bigger, a club more focused on plugging holes than building with intention.
This isn’t a new story at Old Trafford. United’s been caught in this loop for years. Problems are identified, short-term solutions are rushed in, money gets spent on players who don’t deliver, and the same pattern repeats when the next window opens, dressed up in fresh talk of a rebuild. What’s different now is how little appeal the club seems to have when it comes to top-tier talent. Some of that has to do with instability, both on and off the field.
In a league as demanding as the Premier League, you can’t afford to be inefficient up front. When the attack isn’t working, everything else starts to fall apart. The defense is exposed, the midfield is stretched thin, and the goalkeeper ends up doing more than he should. And when the ball finally reaches the final third, there’s no end product. If the club doesn’t give Ruben Amorim the tools he needs now, this new chapter could stall before it even gets going.