Hojlund upgrade: Man Utd make mammoth offer to sign "sensational" talent

This summer is crucial for Ruben Amorim in his quest to return Manchester United to glory, with the upcoming window handing him his first opportunity to overhaul the squad.

The 40-year-old took the reins from Erik ten Hag back in November, but the January transfer window was no way near long enough to make the wholesale changes needed.

The showing against Lyon in the Europa League on Thursday night is evidence that he has an excellent spine of the side to build on, but is still in desperate need of investment to catapult the Red Devils up the Premier League table.

It remains to be seen how much money Amorim will have at his disposal given Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s cost-cutting operation, but it’s pivotal that the manager is given the funds to make his mark.

With the window just a couple of months away, rumours have already started circling, with numerous players already on the club’s radar ahead of 2025/26.

The latest on Man Utd’s hunt for a new striker

Over the last couple of days, it has emerged that United have made Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap their number one target to become their new talisman at Old Trafford.

The 22-year-old has enjoyed a superb first season in England’s top flight, finding the net 12 times in his 31 appearances for the relegation-threatened outfit.

However, should the Tractor Boys drop back into the Championship come the end of the season, the forward could be available for just £30m – putting Amorim and the hierarchy on red alert.

Despite the interest in Delap, the likes of Matheus Cunha and Viktor Gyokeres continue to be touted with a move to the North West, also joined by Victor Osimhen if one report is to be believed.

According to Turkish journalist Ali Naci Kucuk, the Red Devils have already made an offer to the Nigerian’s representatives of around €20m a season (£660k-per-week) to prise him away from Napoli.

Why United’s latest transfer target would be an upgrade on Hojlund

Danish forward Rasmus Hojlund arrived with huge expectations at United after the hierarchy forked out £72m for his services back in the summer of 2023.

However, his time at the club has been nothing but successful, only scoring 24 times in his 87 appearances to date, with only eight of his efforts coming in 2024/25.

He’s often shared the centre-forward role with Joshua Zirkzee this campaign, failing to nail down the starting position constantly – understandably so given his run of 21 games without a goal earlier in the season.

Such a lack of form has led to the recent rumours over a new forward arriving this summer, with Osimhen the latest player to be thrown into the mix ahead of the opening of the window.

The Nigerian, who’s currently spending the season on loan at Galatasaray, looks almost certain to leave his parent side, Napoli, in the coming months, with United desperately needing to pounce and complete a deal for his services.

When comparing his figures with Hojlund from 2024/25, the 26-year-old has massively outperformed the current Red Devils talent, with his signing taking the attacking department to the next over.

Osimhen, who’s been labelled “sensational” by commentator Matteo Bonetti, has hugely outscored the Dane, whilst also notching a higher shot-on-target accuracy rate – demonstrating the clinical edge he possesses in attacking areas.

He’s also managed to complete more of his attempted take-ons, whilst also winning more of the aerial battles he’s entered – offering the all-round presence the club have desperately craved.

Whilst the touted weekly wage offered for Osimhen’s services may seem ludicrous, his stats prove that he’s way above the levels of the options currently at Amorim’s disposal.

If the former Sporting CP boss is to mastermind a revival over the summer, he needs to attract elite-level talents to transform the side, with the Nigerian certainly needing to be at the top of his shortlist.

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