Manchester United (Man U) may turn its attention to a young prospect with high growth potential instead of proven striker Victor Osimhen (27, Galatasaray).
British 'GiveMeSport' reported on the 11th (Korean time), citing sources, that Manchester United under coach Ruben Amorim (40) may seek to sign striker Samu Agueroa (21, FC Porto) when the summer transfer window opens.
Coach Amorim, who took over the Manchester United reins during this season instead of Erik ten Hag, is seeking significant offensive reinforcements ahead of his first full season. This is partly because Rasmus Hojlund (22) and Joshua Zirkzee (24) have been consistently criticized for poor scoring.
Manchester United drew 1-1 in a league home match against second-place Arsenal on the 10th. However, they remain in 14th place with 34 points. Most notably, they have managed only 34 goals in 28 matches, leading to difficulties with decisive scoring.
During this winter transfer window, Manchester United spent £30 million (approximately 43.7 billion won) to acquire Lecce winger Patrick Dorgu (21), but their scoring issues have still not improved.
Amid this, Agueroa has made it onto Manchester United's list. Agueroa is a promising Spanish striker, boasting a height of 193 cm and a weight of 82 kg. He is noted for his impressive physicality while also being valued for his speed and dribbling.
Agueroa has scored 14 goals and provided 3 assists in 21 league matches this season, totaling 20 goals and 3 assists in 33 matches. He appears to possess the high goal-scoring ability that Manchester United needs.
However, the price tag for Agueroa is a concern. Porto is said to have set a high buyout clause amount of £84 million (approximately 122.5 billion won) in the contract with Agueroa, valid until 2029.
Agueroa also received an offer from Chelsea before transferring from Atletico Madrid to Porto. Chelsea made a £35 million (approximately 51 billion won) offer, but Agueroa chose to move to Porto.
Due to financial issues, the reinforcement of the squad has been hindered, making the amount difficult for Manchester United to manage. The amount may vary based on Manchester United's performance in the UEFA Europa League (UEL).
If Manchester United fails to qualify for European competitions, acquiring Agueroa may become impossible. Given that Manchester United is already reducing its financial scale, the budget for next season is likely to decrease.
Ultimately, for Manchester United to acquire a new forward, it is essential to transfer key players. This means significant changes to the squad are inevitable.
That said, Manchester United has not given up on Victor Osimhen. Coach Amorim still wants Osimhen, who is having a strong season at Galatasaray on loan from Napoli, with 23 goals and 5 assists in 29 matches, including 17 goals and 4 assists in 21 matches this season.
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