Manchester United reportedly draw up a wishlist of Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap, Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo, Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Matheus Cunha and Lille’s Jonathan David.
Manchester United have reportedly placed Ipswich Town‘s Liam Delap, Brentford‘s Bryan Mbeumo, Wolverhampton Wanderers‘ Matheus Cunha and Lille‘s Jonathan David on their four-man striker shortlist.
The Red Devils, despite financial restrictions, are said to be determined to bring in a new forward before the end of the winter market, but top target Sporting Lisbon‘s Viktor Gyokeres is out of reach this month.
According to the Daily Mail, there are four names on the club’s January shortlist, with Premier League stars Delap, Mbeumo and Cunha all being considered, while David is also said to be a genuine target.
The latter only has a contract with Lille until the end of the campaign, and there is currently a host of speculation when it comes to his future, with a number of clubs said to be interested in a deal.
David has scored 18 goals and registered seven assists in 31 appearances for Lille this term, including five goals in seven Champions League outings, and a move to Old Trafford for the 25-year-old is seemingly a possibility.
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Man United ‘working’ to sign a striker ‘this month’
Delap, meanwhile, has scored eight goals in 22 appearances for Ipswich this season, with all of those strikes coming in the Premier League, and the 21-year-old has made a huge impression in 2024-25.
Mbeumo has been another star in the Premier League this season, managing 13 goals and registering three assists in 22 appearances in England’s top flight.
Cunha’s future is also currently the subject of much speculation, with Man United, Arsenal and Nottingham Forest all said to be interested in signing the Wolves forward before the end of the winter transfer window.
The Brazilian has scored 10 goals and registered four assists in 21 Premier League appearances this term, and he is expected to leave Wolves either this month or at the end of the campaign.
The 25-year-old was seemingly set to sign a new deal with Wolves in January, but it has been claimed that he is no longer willing to extend his contract during the winter market.
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Which forward would be most suitable for Man United?
Neither Mbeumo nor Cunha are centre-forwards, and it will be difficult to sign either this month, with Brentford ruling out a mid-season departure for the former, while Wolves will battle to keep the latter.
Delap is an ideal long-term option in that position, and he has shown incredible potential this season, but again, it would take a huge bid to take him away from Ipswich considering their battle when it comes to staying in the Premier League.
David, in theory, should be the easiest to sign this month due to his contract situation, with Lille running the risk of him leaving on a free transfer at the end of the campaign.
The Canadian has a brilliant record of 102 goals and 25 assists in 214 appearances for Lille, and he has shown this season that he can perform at the top level due to his performances in the Champions League.
Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee continue to struggle in the final third of the field, and bringing in David in the middle of the season would be a major boost for the Red Devils.
