Manchester United’s pursuit of a new striker is not unique to this summer, and has in fact been ongoing since the summer of 2023.
Erik ten Hag joined Manchester United as manager in the summer of 2022, with this signalling the end of Edinson Cavani at Old Trafford.
The following season Cristiano Ronaldo was released after a falling out with Ten Hag, before ultimately it was decided a new striker was needed to take up the mantle long term at Old Trafford with Anthony Martial not reliable with his fitness.
This sparked a Europe-wide hunt which saw Harry Kane linked heavily with United. However, United believed Kane’s game had changed and not for the better with Danish forward Rasmus Hojlund chose over the Bayern Munich star.
This has since looked like a ridiculous decision as Kane has outscored Hojlund, 78 goals to 24 goals over the past two seasons. But last summer United had the chance to upgrade on Hojlund for less than a quarter of the price.
Now, this player has performed on the highest stage for Borussia Dortmund.
Serhou Guirassy puts three past Barcelona in Champions League
Last summer, Bundesliga goal phenomenon Serhou Guirassy was available to interested clubs for just £15m with his €17.5m release clause which Borussia Dortmund took a chance on. United rejected the chance to sign Guirassy to opt for Joshua Zirkzee
One year on and he has scored 28 in 40 games – while Hojlund has 24 in 86 games for United and any argument over whether United were wrong to snub a move for the Guinea striker was ended on Tuesday night.
It was the Champions League quarter-final and Guirassy was starting up front for Dortmund with a 4-0 deficit to overcome, and he certainly did his part.
Guirassy bagged a hat-trick for Dortmund to put his side in with a fighting chance, but ultimately it was too far gone with an own goal meaning the scoreline ended 5-3 on aggregate.
Guirassy is proving himself not to be a flash in the pan with this performance being his breakout display on the highest level possible against the favourites to go all the way this season.
So, after wasting £64m on Hojlund, how United felt £15m was not worthwhile being spent on Guirassy is looking like a worse decision by the day. While opting to sign Zirkzee for £36m last summer over Guirassy also looks crazy, with the Dutchman not even a number nine.
Buying Guirassy cheap has worked out a treat for Dortmund, with a £60m release clause preventing any club from doing to them what they did to Stuttgart.
Manchester United must learn lesson this summer in striker hunt
With his hat-trick on Tuesday, Guirassy moved top of the Champions League goal charts, where he stands a good chance of ending or at least finishing in the top three.
This will be tough for United as another talent slipped through their fingers, but it should be a huge warning for the club not to allow this mistake to be repeated this summer.
It is a third successive summer that United are in the market for a striker and the club must get this one right.
Liam Delap is a Premier League proven option for United as they are thought to be leading the race for Ipswich’s star man. However, if United want a guarantee of goals signing Victor Osimhen could be the move as he is a world class forward and available to the Red Devils this summer.
Whoever arrives has a low bar to pass in terms of Hojlund this season, but it must be a player who has the tools to lead the line for United over the coming years – it is Ineos’ biggest task which their scouting and recruitment model will hopefully solve along with Chido Obi developing.
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