Manchester United’s summer transfer business has largely focused on adding creativity behind the striker. They spent big on Matheus Cunha.
They are still working on a deal for Bryan Mbeumo. But even with those names, one problem remains. Up front, the squad looks light.
Rasmus Hojlund has talent, but he only scored four league goals last season. There is no real backup behind him.
United need depth, but more importantly, they need reliability in the No. 9 role. This is where things get interesting.
Earlier in the summer, the club quietly looked at a Premier League striker who is not flashy but has the numbers.
Jean-Philippe Mateta has scored 30 league goals across the past two seasons. He even has three goals in his last three games against United.
At 28, he is in his prime. Also, Mateta knows the league.
The Crystal Palace striker is not expected to replace Hojlund but could help take some pressure off the Dane.
For a team lacking bite up front, this kind of player might be just what they need.
Now, L’Équipe has revealed that Jean-Philippe Mateta is available for a fee slightly over €30 million.
That is around £26 million. For comparison, Chelsea paid more for Liam Delap, a forward with far less experience at this level.
Mateta is also on AC Milan’s radar, but they have stepped back due to the price.
If Manchester United want a Premier League-proven forward who can hit the ground running, this deal could make a lot of sense.
And at that price, it might just be one of the smarter moves of their summer.
In a summer where Arsenal are signing Viktor Gyokeres up front, Liverpool are signing Hugo Ekitike, and Chelsea are signing Joao Pedro, the Red Devils could be making an intelligent move.
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