Man United finally edging towards signing the star-striker they desperately need

Man United finally edging towards signing the star-striker they desperately need

Manchester United’s task of rebuilding this summer was made all the more difficult by Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s untimely injury in the back-end of the season, which led the Swedish ace to become a free agent this summer.

The former Paris Saint-Germain striker was a huge hit in his only season at Old Trafford, providing a match-winning display in the League Cup final against Southampton, but his departure has left a gaping hole in the Red Devils’ attack.

Jose Mourinho’s side dramatically failed with a pursuit of Atletico Madrid hitman Antoine Griezmann, who instead penned a new deal in the Spanish capital, and Manchester United have been slow in moving towards an alternative.


However, it seems Mourinho’s men are finally closing in on the signing they desperately need as widespread reports indicate 24-year-old Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata is set to move to Manchester United in the coming weeks.

The Spaniard only returned to the Santiago Bernabeu from Juventus last summer, with Zinedine Zidane’s side activating a buy-back clause in the striker’s contract, but Morata struggled to secure first-team opportunities with Los Blancos.

With the World Cup less than a year away, Morata is seeking a major transfer that can help him secure a starting spot in Spain’s side next summer, as he faces a wealth of competition from the likes of Diego Costa, and a move to Manchester United works for all parties.

Whilst it could be argued that Manchester United are paying a hefty price for Morata, with the fee mentioned more than Arsenal’s imminent deal to land Alexandre Lacazette from Lyon, the Red Devils are not in a position to delay a deal as they negotiate a lesser fee.

Real Madrid were always set to be shrewd negotiators and Manchester United have the finances for this not to be an issue- and a deal needs to be completed swiftly to allow Morata the time to settle into his new surroundings ahead of the new Premier League season.

It remains to be seen what other business Manchester United complete this summer to compensate their new attacker, with players like Romelu Lukaku and Ivan Perisic linked with a move to Old Trafford, but the signing of Morata will fill the biggest void within their squad.

Morata is under pressure to perform to the levels that Ibrahimovic did last season, and in reality it’s highly unlikely the Spaniard will hit the same sort of numbers, so Manchester United will need to find more goals from other aspects of their side.

That means the likes of Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan will need to improve their return in front of goal next season if Manchester United are to have any chance of winning the Premier League.