Manchester United have reportedly ended their interest in a transfer deal for Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland.
The Red Devils would surely do well to try signing an elite centre-forward in the near future, with both Cristiano Ronaldo and Edinson Cavani ageing and surely not likely to be able to carry on starting week in, week out at the highest level for much longer.
Haaland could have been the perfect option for Man Utd after his sensational scoring record for Dortmund, but the Daily Star now report that it looks like he won’t be an option as he’s leaning towards joining Real Madrid instead.
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There are plenty of other quality players out there, however, and we’ve put together a list of some options that could be realistic, not too old, and who’d generally give United the kind of goal threat they’re looking for.
Read on for five strikers who could be decent alternatives to Haaland for MUFC…
Dusan Vlahovic
The obvious candidate, Dusan Vlahovic is another of Europe’s most exciting goal-getters at the moment, with 18 goals in 20 games in all competitions so far this season.
The 21-year-old Serbia international looks likely to be up there with Haaland as one of the very finest forwards in world football in the next few years, so United would do well to snap him up, even if it won’t be an easy deal to get done.
The Daily Star have previously reported that Vlahovic would likely cost around £70million, and it also seems that Arsenal are doing what they can to try and move into pole position for his signature…
United surely have it in them to out-bid the Gunners, but much will surely depend on how Vlahovic views the respective clubs’ ambitions at the moment.
Both United and Arsenal are battling for a top four spot this season, and it’s not that clear at the moment who looks the stronger of the two sides as both have had mixed campaigns and are generally a long way from being the dominant forces in English football that they used to be.
Arsenal urgently need someone like Vlahovic to replace Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, but United should surely fancy their chances in this transfer battle as well if they do decide to look at this alternative to Haaland.
Harry Kane
It looked like Harry Kane would be moving last summer, but it didn’t happen, so could United have another chance?
Like United and Arsenal, Tottenham are in a battle to finish in the top four this season, and it won’t be easy for them to get over the line, even with the world class Antonio Conte recently taking over as manager.
Kane will surely want to be doing more with his career and finally get his hands on some trophies, so there’s every chance he’d view a move to Old Trafford as a step up.
From the Red Devils’ point of view, it’s surely a no-brainer to sign Kane if they can, with the England international both a lethal finisher and superb creative player when he drops deep to link play.
Spurs will no doubt do anything to avoid selling to a Premier League rival, but MUFC surely need to be doing all they can to force this ambitious signing through.
Lautaro Martinez
Another of the finest young forwards in Europe, Lautaro Martinez has been a star performer for Inter Milan and could be an option worth considering for Man Utd.
The Argentina international has been linked with top clubs for a while now without getting a move, but there’s surely a realistic chance that Inter would let him go in the near future after having financial troubles.
This led the Serie A giants to offload Romelu Lukaku and Achraf Hakimi in the summer, but if other big names leave the San Siro soon then Martinez will surely be one of them.
Jonathan David
Linked with big names like Arsenal and Liverpool by Jeunes Footeux recently, Lille striker Jonathan David could be another decent alternative up front for United.
The 21-year-old Canada international has been a prolific scorer in Ligue 1, helping Lille to a surprise title victory last season, with a big move surely just around the corner for him.
MUFC may feel David is not currently in quite the same league as someone like Haaland, but it could be smart business to sign him before he really fulfils his true potential and thereby becomes as in-demand as someone like Haaland has become.
Andre Silva
Finally, Andre Silva is surely one of the most underrated attacking players in Europe right now after some superb form in the Bundesliga in recent times.
The Portugal international scored 29 goals in 34 games in all competitions last season, earning himself a big move from Eintracht Frankfurt to RB Leipzig.
Could Silva move again so soon? If United cannot land players like Haaland, Kane or Vlahovic, they could certainly do well to use Ralf Rangnick’s Leipzig connections and see if a deal for Silva is realistic.