Whilst Manchester United have been prone to a leaky defensive display in the Premier League this season, the Red Devils have also fallen foul of some pretty lacklustre performances in attack.
Indeed, even as United picked up a 1-0 win away at Fulham last time out, Ruben Amorim’s men were restricted to just four shots on goal all evening, with Lisandro Martinez’s game-winning effort on the day aided by a lucky deflection to beat Bernd Leno.
Whilst the Portuguese boss would have been delighted that his side were handed a slice of luck to narrowly win, he will know his team still needs to improve their underlying numbers up top as this exciting attacking addition is eyed up.
PL forward keen on switch to Manchester United
It has been widely reported recently that United are looking to add Chelsea outcast Christopher Nkunku to their camp, with Alejandro Garnacho even thrown into the mix as part of a spectacular swap deal.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
It remains to be seen whether or not the move transpires in this bold way, but a new report from Caught Offside indicates that the Frenchman would be up for a switch to Old Trafford, with the site stating that the ex-RB Leipzig man is ‘keen’ on calling Manchester his new home after a move to Bayern Munich collapsed.
The worry would be that this move ends up being another gamble gone wrong on United’s end, with Chelsea allegedly wanting £58m out of any suitor looking at the 27-year-old.
What Nkunku could offer Manchester United
If United want to boost their firepower, it might well be a deal worth exploring as the likes of Rasmus Hojlund continue to flounder in the centre-forward positions.
It’s fair to say Nkunku’s time at Stamford Bridge to date has been nothing short of turbulent, with the former Leipzig ace missing for a hefty 246 days across 2023/24 owing to recurring injury issues.
But, when he has been fit and available, the 5 foot 10 attacker has threatened to spark into life for Enzo Maresca’s men, with 16 goals coming his way from 43 clashes.
Whilst he has scored eight of those strikes in a more comfortable number ten role for the Blues, Amorim could well mould the 27-year-old into more of a centre-forward on his arrival at the Theatre of Dreams, displacing a misfiring Hojlund in the process.
After all, the goal-shy Dane has only managed to bag an unsatisfactory two league strikes this season for the Red Devils from 13 starts, contributing to his team’s low 28-goal output in the league consequently.
Games played
19
18
Games started
3
13
Average minutes
23
61
Goals scored
2
2
Assists
1
0
Scoring frequency
222 mins
552 mins
Looking at the table above, although both Nkunku and Hojlund only boast a paltry two goals in league action, the Frenchman’s overall numbers look far more promising for the long-run if United were to give him more regular minutes, with just three starts coming his way compared to his counterpart’s weightier 13.
Further, the Blues number 18 could be utilised just behind the striker effectively if Amorim was willing to persist with Hojlund, with the 14-time France senior international accumulating a ridiculous 21 goal contributions across 49 contests from the attacking midfield position during his pomp in Leipzig.
Whilst it’s unreasonable to expect Nkunku to replicate his Bundesliga best instantly owing to his injury-disrupted time in England, Amorim could get more out of the “monster” attacker – as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig – if he does jump ship to the Red Devils, leaving Chelsea potentially plagued with regret.
It’s clear that United need something fresh up top and that could now be won this window in the form of Nkunku, as Amorim goes about turning around his team’s fortunes for the better.
Better than Garnacho: Man Utd eyeing "one of the world's biggest talents"
Manchester United could be in for a frantic few days towards the closing stages of the transfer window.
1 ByEthan LambJan 26, 2025
