Andre Onana’s recent glaring errors may have heightened the search for a new goalkeeper, although as far as priority positions are concerned for Manchester United, it is surely the forward line that is in need of bolstering.
While Joshua Zirkzee – who has revived his United career after being booed off against Newcastle United back in December – did score a crucial goal in midweek, that backpost header was just the Dutchman’s seventh in all competitions this season, having struggled to truly fire following his £36.5m switch from Bologna.
The versatile attacker has been forced to line up in a perhaps unsuited centre-forward berth at times due to the woes of teammate Rasmus Hojlund, with the struggling Dane again looking lifeless on Thursday night, after registering just 11 touches in total.
In all, the former Atalanta starlet has only scored eight goals across all fronts in 2024/25, while fellow forward, Alejandro Garnacho, has only just bettered that tally with nine goals of his own, having chipped in with just two goals since Ruben Amorim took charge.
With Amad Diallo currently sidelined – and the likes of Antony and Marcus Rashford having been shipped out on loan – the attacking unit does appear particularly depleted, hence the need to recruit quality reinforcements this summer.
Latest on Man Utd's search for a forward
According to recent reports, it looks as if United could be ready to raid fellow Premier League sides for their prized possessions, with The Athletic reporting on Friday that both Liam Delap and Matheus Cunha are under consideration.
In the case of the Wolverhampton Wanderers star, the Brazilian – who has scored 13 league goals this season – is viewed as a potential solution in one of the two number ten berths in Amorim’s 3-4-3 set-up, having operated on the flanks or centrally at Molineux this season.
The 25-year-old has already outlined his desire to “take the next step” in his career, with suitors able to land the former Atletico Madrid man for £62.5m this summer, amid the presence of a release clause in his current deal.
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As per reports in Spain, however, the Red Devils are also considering attacking alternatives, with claims made that Amorim and co are preparing an offer for Paris Saint-Germain starlet, Désiré Doué.
The 19-year-old – who only joined the Ligue 1 champions on a €50m (£42m) deal last summer – appears to have caught the attention of the Old Trafford hierarchy amid his dazzling displays this season, with the Frenchman viewed as ‘one of their key future prospects’.
As per the piece, however, any deal would likely not come cheap, with it yet to be seen whether Luis Enrique’s side would be willing to cash in so swiftly.
How Désiré Doué compares to Matheus Cunha
The major benefit of landing Cunha this summer would be that the in-demand forward has already proven himself in the Premier League, having notably scored directly from a corner in the 2-0 win over Man Utd at Molineux on Boxing Day.
That ensures the £62.5m man would be a ready-made solution as far as Amorim is concerned, although it’s hard to deny that Doué represents the bigger talent, having been hailed as “one of the best in the game right now” by data analyst Ben Mattinson.
Indeed, the teenager scored a simply outrageous equaliser in PSG’s eventual 3-1 win over Aston Villa in the Champions League on Wednesday evening, having rifled in a stunning curling effort that left Emi Martinez with simply no chance in the Villa goal.
That effort ensured the former Rennes starlet already has six goals and assists to his name in 12 outings in Europe’s top tier competition this season, having racked up 24 goal involvements in total in 2024/25. Cunha, by contrast, has ‘just’ 19 goal contributions for the Old Gold.
Capable of operating as an attacking midfielder or on the flanks, Doué would surely be an ideal option for the number ten berth in Amorim’s system, with Mattinson lauding him as a “genius” who can “create something out of nothing”.
Non-penalty goals
0.56
0.33
Assists
0.18
0.33
Shot-creating actions
3.82
4.93
Progressive passes
4.69
6.41
Progressive carries
3.68
5.71
Successful take-ons
2.03
3.34
Pass completion
71.6%
80.7%
Tackles
1.23
1.93
Interceptions
0.56
0.74
What sets Doué apart is just how strong he is across a range of metrics, as indicated above, having outperformed Cunha with regard to both attacking and defensive contributions, across the last 365 days.
It is then no surprise that he has caught the eye of those at the Theatre of Dreams, with the PSG man’s age, potential and current performances ensuring he could represent a greater investment than the capture of Cunha.
Now, the challenge will be trying to pluck him from the Parc des Princes…
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