Manchester United Target Alexander Sorloth as Striker Solution
Manchester United have been handed an intriguing late-window option up front – with Alexander Sorloth put to them as a potential solution to their striker problem.
With the clock ticking towards Tuesday’s deadline, United’s business is far from done. Carlos Baleba has already arrived from Brighton in a £70million deal, but the focus at Carrington is now on finding a new centre-forward and a left-back before the window slams shut. Michael Carrick wants cover and competition for Benjamin Sesko through the middle, and someone to push Luke Shaw on the left.
The need up front has sharpened after developments around Joshua Zirkzee. According to Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, the Dutchman has given the green light to return to Serie A with Fiorentina. The Florence club have gone as far as sending United a loan proposal, which includes an option to buy at the end of the season.
That potential exit has forced United to widen the net. Freiburg’s Igor Matanovic has been sounded out. So too Crystal Palace forward Jean-Philippe Mateta, who is open to a move. Both fit the brief as physical No 9s who can lead the line when Sesko is rotated or unavailable.
Sorloth offered to United
TEAMtalk report that intermediaries have ‘offered’ Alexander Sorloth to United, with the Atletico Madrid striker emerging as a genuine option. At 6ft 5in, the Norwegian is a classic focal point, a traditional centre-forward with a serious track record: 175 goals in 475 senior appearances.
Those close to the discussions believe Sorloth ‘fits the profile’ United are chasing – an out-and-out No 9 who can compete with Sesko, provide aerial threat, and give Carrick a different dimension in the box.
Crucially, Sorloth is understood to be ‘open to leaving’ Atleti. He ‘would entertain’ a return to the Premier League, where he previously spent a frustrating spell with Crystal Palace between January 2018 and September 2020. That stint brought just 20 appearances for the Eagles, broken up by loan moves to Gent and Trabzonspor.
A move to Old Trafford would offer the 28-year-old a chance to rewrite his English chapter entirely.
Atletico, for their part, are prepared to sell – but only on their terms. Sorloth is under contract until June 2028, so there is no pressure to cash in quickly. The Spanish side will sanction a departure for what they consider the right price, and only once they have secured a replacement.
Their shortlist is ambitious. Atleti are weighing up moves for Arsenal’s Gabriel Jesus and Juventus forward Jonathan David as they plan for life without Sorloth.
Unclear fee, crowded market
The exact figure Atletico would demand remains unclear at this stage. What is certain is that Sorloth is not the only forward in demand in Madrid.
Barcelona and Arsenal continue to circle Sorloth’s team-mate Julian Alvarez. Atletico insist Alvarez is not for sale, but the player has publicly expressed his desire to move, sparking fury among sections of the club’s support. That tension only adds another layer of complexity to any reshaping of Diego Simeone’s attack.
United, meanwhile, are trying to balance need with flexibility. On the Talk of the Devils podcast, Laurie Whitwell outlined the current thinking inside the club.
“Loan is what I have heard in terms of incoming,” he said, underlining the preference for short-term deals rather than big permanent commitments this late in the window.
Andy Mitten echoed the sense that movement is increasingly likely.
“Will we see new players come in? I think it’s increasing, I think it’s a possibility. I don’t know if the player would be signed or loaned. If you lose a striker, United look light up top.”
That is the crux of it. With Zirkzee edging towards the exit and Sesko still settling into the demands of leading the line at Old Trafford, United cannot afford to go into the autumn with a threadbare forward department.
Whether the answer is Sorloth, Mateta, Matanovic or a late, left-field name, the next few days will show just how bold – or how cautious – United are prepared to be in reshaping their attack.
