Manchester United Eye Alexander Sorloth as Late Transfer Option
Alexander Sorloth has been put on Manchester United’s table as a late-window option, with intermediaries offering the Atletico Madrid striker to the club as they scramble for another centre-forward before Tuesday’s deadline.
United’s recruitment team have been tracking several profiles, but Sorloth has now moved into genuine consideration, with sources indicating he fits the brief for a powerful, central No.9 to complement Benjamin Sesko rather than block him.
The 30-year-old Norway international is open to leaving Atletico this summer. A return to the Premier League appeals, not least because his first spell in England with Crystal Palace never truly caught fire and there’s a sense of unfinished business.
United’s need is clear. Joshua Zirkzee has been allowed to leave for Fiorentina, and Michael Carrick wants another senior striker to balance his attacking options. The club are determined not to sign a forward for the sake of it, though; if the right profile doesn’t emerge, they are prepared to walk away.
Sorloth ticks several of the boxes they are working from. Since arriving at Atletico he has impressed with his physical presence, aerial strength and penalty-box instincts, while his prior Premier League experience is seen as a bonus rather than a gamble. Across his career he has scored 175 goals in 475 appearances, numbers that speak to reliability rather than hype.
Atletico, for their part, are not shutting the door. They are willing to sanction Sorloth’s exit, but only if they can secure a replacement first. Their plan is to keep Julian Alvarez, yet they still want another striker through the door, with Arsenal’s Gabriel Jesus and former Lille forward Jonathan David both under active consideration.
The picture is tangled by Juventus. The Italian club are exploring a complex deal involving David, with Sorloth and Nico Gonzalez potentially included in an exchange. Those talks are proving difficult to piece together, which keeps the door ajar for other suitors.
United are one of them. TEAMtalk understand that David has also been offered to the Old Trafford hierarchy, who are weighing whether his profile gives them a different type of threat in attack compared to Sorloth and the other names on their list.
Sorloth not alone on United shortlist
United’s search has never been about a single target. As previously revealed, the club have held conversations with Crystal Palace regarding Jean-Philippe Mateta and Ismaila Sarr, although neither deal is straightforward and both would require significant negotiation.
Younger forwards are on the radar too. Freiburg’s Igor Matanovic, Hoffenheim’s Fisnik Asllani and RB Leipzig’s Conrad Harder have all been discussed internally as longer-term projects rather than instant headline signings.
Even so, Sorloth stands out as one of the more experienced, ready-made options under consideration. His openness to a move back to England, and the fact Atletico are listening to proposals, make this one to monitor closely as the window ticks into its final days.
There is also the sub-plot that will not go unnoticed in Manchester. Sorloth is a close friend of Erling Haaland, and the idea of the two Norway internationals leading rival forward lines on opposite sides of the city adds an extra twist to an already intriguing chase.
For United, though, the equation remains simple. They want a striker who genuinely complements Sesko, not just another name on the squad list. If they cannot find that balance in the next few days, there is every chance they choose to sit tight and wait.
