RUBEN AMORIM might have to break the bank to get a real goalscorer at Old Trafford.
The new Manchester United boss has confirmed his strong wishes to be active in the January window as goals are still hard to come by.
SunSport exclusively revealed that Marcus Rashford is at the centre of a stunning swap deal with Napoli striker Victor Osimhen.
The 26-year-old Nigerian — who has a £62m release clause — is on loan at Galatasaray after pushing for a move away from Naples.
Osimhen has scored 13 goals in 16 games this season and has averaged 0.79 goals per 90 minutes since the start of last season.
Amorim would ideally love to work with Sporting Lisbon forward Viktor Gyokeres again but agreed he would NOT sign players from his former club until the summer at the earliest.
Gyokeres, who swapped Coventry for Lisbon in 2023, has bagged 30 goals in 28 appearances this season, with Arsenal also interested.
The 26-year-old is first overall in most eight of the 10 metrics, including goals, touches and expected goals per 90 minutes.
The Swede has the best goal conversion rate of all four Man Utd striker targets, hitting the back of the next once in every 89 minutes on average since the start of last season.
But United will have to hand over more than £70m to steal him away from Sporting.
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The Red Devils have also identified Paris Saint-Germain star Randal Kolo Muani as a potential answer to their lack of goals.
The 26-year-old has scored 11 goals in 54 appearances since joining the French side from Eintracht Frankfurt in September 2023.
A loan deal could be on the cards with Kolo Muani under contract at PSG until 2028 and in need of game time.
The French international, who moved to the Parc des Princes for £77m only 16 months ago and has scored twice in 14 appearances this season.
Kolo Muani’s stats are less impressive than Osimhen’s and Gyokeres’, only reigning first overall in the most assists per 90 minutes since the start of last term.
Meanwhile, Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic is another top name on the short list.
The Serie A side are reportedly considering a shock swap deal involving Joshua Zirkzee heading back to Italy.
The Dutchman has had a difficult first six months at Old Trafford after his £36.5million move from Bologna.
He was booed by large sections of the home fans after Amorim removed him within 33 minutes of United’s 2-0 defeat to Newcastle.
Vlahovic has just 18 months left on his contract.
Juventus do not want to lose the 24-year-old for free and are looking at “creative ways to benefit” from his exit.
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Vlahovic, who joined the Old Lady from Fiorentina for £67m in 2022, has scored 12 goals in all competitions this season.
United have failed to improve since forking out around £206m in the summer window under previous gaffer Erik ten Hag.
And club legend Gary Neville even argued that his former club is the “worst pound-for-pound team in the country.”
Amorim is short of goalscorers and dropped Rashford over his “standards” for the 2-1 Premier League derby win at Manchester City on December 15.
Rashford has not played for the six games since — as United sit 13th in the Prem after their well deserved 2-2 draw at Anfield.
The 27-year-old has been offered the chance to become the best-paid English player in history by clubs in Saudi Arabia more than doubling his £315,000 weekly pay packet to £675,000.
That £35m-a-year offer is almost 70 per cent more than the £400,000 a week that England skipper Harry Kane, 31, earns at Bayern Munich.
Three Saudi clubs have made offers, but Rashford wants to remain in Europe to fight for his place back in the England squad.
MANCHESTER UNITED finally showed some steel as they drew 2-2 at rivals Liverpool.
The league leaders had to settle for a point despite going 2-1 up at Anfield.
Amad Diallo’s timely effort meant the spoils were shared from a match where brilliant battles were fought all over the pitch.
United targeted supposedly-Real Madrid-bound Trent Alexander-Arnold and SunSport’s Dean Scoggins has lifted the lid on why they were so effective in doing so.
Watch his latest Tactics Exposed video to see exactly how United pulled off the most unlikely of draws.
