Manchester United are surely on the hunt for a new striker this summer but have missed a chance to watch one impressive forward.
Manchester United fans probably can’t wait for the season to end.
United beat Ipswich Town 3-2 on Wednesday night but Ruben Amorim needs to strengthen this squad in the summer transfer window.
United sit 14th in the Premier League table right now and Amorim needs reinforcements to drag the club forward.
Rasmus Hojlund’s goal drought has now hit 17 games in all competitions, so a striker will surely be on the radar.
Victor Osimhen is on United’s wish list but another forward is surely on the wish list after a scouting mission this week.
Manchester United scouted Porto this week
O Jogo reported earlier this week that United sent scouts to watch Porto in action against Vitoria Guimaraes on Monday night.
Brighton and Hove Albion, Southampton and Bayer Leverkusen were all in attendance too but no targets were actually named.
The game ended in a 1-1 draw as Porto slipped up in the race for the Liga Portugal title.
United were linked with Porto’s Francisco Moura earlier this season but we would guess that United’s focus was Porto striker Samu Aghehowa.
United scouted Aghehowa in January and the need for goals this summer surely means that he is still on the radar.
Aghehowa – formerly known as Samu Omorodion – was actually named on the bench against Vitoria though and came on inside the first half an hour.
If Aghehowa was the focus, his early introduction meant that this wasn’t an entirely wasted journey for United scouts.
The Spanish forward – who also qualifies to play for Nigeria – joined Porto from Atletico Madrid last summer.
Aghehowa now has 13 goals in 19 league games this season as well as six goals in nine Europa League outings.
This has been a superb season for Aghehowa and the 20-year-old looks poised to become a star of the future.
Whether another young and athletic forward is the right move amid Hojlund’s struggles remains to be seen, but Aghehowa would certainly make sense as United’s target at Porto.
Samu Aghehowa troubled Matthijs de Ligt
Another layer here is that Aghehowa has already impressed against United.
Erik ten Hag saw United draw at Porto in October, just weeks before the Dutchman lost his job.
Aghehowa was a menace for Porto, scoring twice to put Porto 3-2 up before Harry Maguire’s late leveller.
The 6ft 4in forward caused real problems that night and former United midfielder Owen Hargreaves told TNT Sports that he gave Matthijs de Ligt an ‘absolute nightmare’.
Aghehowa may well have put himself on United’s radar with that performance but his continued goalscoring quality in Portugal means he is surely on the radar for this summer.
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
