Marcus Rashford’s appearance in Jesse Lingard’s infamous ‘beans’ viral video recently did not deter Manchester United from offering the 21-year-old a new four-year contract; Ole Gunnar Solskjaer clearly putting plenty of faith in the striker.
While one forward’s future at Old Trafford is now secured, another seems to be hanging precariously in the balance as Romelu Lukaku continues to be targeted by Inter Milan.
According to Sky Sports, the Serie A club are hoping to secure a two-season loan for the Belgian striker, with the option to buy for £60m at the end of it.
While Lukaku’s premature return from his summer holidays hints at a determination to stay at Old Trafford, he remains the number one target of new Inter Milan boss Antonio Conte. The Italian tried to sign Lukaku for Chelsea two years ago before the striker chose Manchester United.
If the Belgian departs Old Trafford, these strikers should become prime targets as his replacement:
Wissam Ben Yedder
The Daily Express reported that United have agreed personal terms with the Sevilla striker over a possible move to Old Trafford; the scene of arguably his finest hour in football. That was where he netted twice for the Spanish side to dump United out of the Champions League in March 2018.
Ben Yedder has been sensational for the La Liga club since joining them three years ago, scoring 70 goals for them in that time; that’s only one fewer than he scored in twice as long with Toulouse. His magnificent record with Sevilla makes the reported fee of £35m look like exceptional value.
Paulo Dybala
Carlos Tevez was a bundle of energy for two seasons at United in the late 2000s and fellow Argentine striker Dybala is cut from the same cloth. As with Ben Yedder, the Old Trafford faithful know about the damage that the Juventus man can do, having scored against United in the Champions League last October.
The 25-year-old has an excellent scoring record for the Serie A champions, netting 78 goals in four seasons in Turin. He wouldn’t come cheap – TransferMarkt.co.uk value him at €85m (£71.5m) – but United can afford to spend that amount, especially if they receive a hefty fee for any marquee players currently at the club.
James Rodriguez
The Colombian forward left Real Madrid for a two-year loan move to Bayern Munich in 2017 and the Bundesliga champions have decided against signing him permanently.
Zinedine Zidane didn’t fancy him a couple of years ago and might not fancy him now, especially with Eden Hazard and Luka Jovic arriving at the Bernabeu.
Rodriguez had a decent spell in Bavaria, scoring 15 goals and supplying 20 assists as he rediscovered some of his World Cup 2014 form following an unhappy time in Madrid.
He is still only 27 and looks a rejuvenated player following his Bayern move, while a TransferMarkt.co.uk valuation of €50m (£44.7m) makes him very affordable.
Andrea Belotti
The 25-year-old has been sensational for Torino in his four years with the Serie A club, hitting double figures in each season, including 17 last term and a 28-goal haul in 2016/17.
His excellent performances for Il Toro have seen him given the club captaincy and earn senior international recognition for Italy, for whom he now has 22 caps.
Belotti’s goal record of 70 in 148 games for Torino speaks for itself, while he is exceptional in the air, winning 4.1 aerial duels per game. He is comfortable shooting on either foot and his astute positioning has seen him likened to ex-Italy striker Gianluca Vialli.
His potency and aerial presence would make him a like-for-like replacement for Lukaku.
Callum Wilson
United have been linked with a £50m move for Bournemouth’s David Brooks and, while the Welshman is a fine winger, his team-mate Wilson should also be of interest to Solskjaer.
The striker has overcome two cruciate ligament injuries to excel for the Cherries last season – his tally of 14 Premier League goals better than what any United player could manage.
Wilson also has impressive creativity statistics, accruing nine assists in 2018/19 and averaging one key pass per game. He is a proven goalscorer in the Premier League and offers a potent threat on the counterattack, along with a tremendous attitude to bounce back from his injury hell so effectively.
Mauro Icardi
The Argentine striker has courted massive controversy in the past, marrying the ex-wife of former Sampdoria team-mate Maxi Lopez and last season refusing to play for his club Inter Milan after being stripped of the captaincy.
He is certainly a divisive figure, but on statistics alone it’s easy to see why clubs might take an interest in him.
In 188 Serie A games for Inter in six years, Icardi has scored 111 goals and broken the 20-goal mark in three seasons, with 29 in 2016/17 making him that year’s top scorer in Serie A. In addition to his goal tally, he has been praised for his hold-up play and off the ball positional sense.
Jadon Sancho
The England teenager may have come through Manchester City’s academy, but he has been identified as a summer target for the red side of Manchester. Some supporters have even urged celebrity United fans Dave and Harry Pinero to try and entice Sancho to come to Old Trafford after they posted a holiday snap with him online.
The 19-year-old made a massive impact at Borussia Dortmund last season, scoring 13 goals in 43 games as they pushed Bayern Munich all the way in the Bundesliga title race. While not a direct replacement for Lukaku in that he plays as a wide man, the teenager would still be a potent goal threat and a massive signing for United if they pursue him.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Seven years after the fateful acquisition of Robin van Persie from Arsenal, United could raid the Emirates Stadium again for the Gunners’ star striker. The Gabon forward is hot property after his 22 goals made him the Premier League’s joint top scorer last season.
Arsenal’s limited transfer budget has made them willing to sell the 30-year-old to raise funds for new signings and is only a year older than what Van Persie was when he moved to Manchester in 2012.
The Dutchman effectively won United the league the following season and Aubameyang is arguably in even greater form now than Van Persie was then.
Lautaro Martinez
The 21-year-old has been in tremendous form for Argentina, scoring five goals in his last six caps and lighting up the Copa America with a brilliant back-heel goal against Venezuela in the quarter-finals. It was only this time last year that he was still playing in his homeland, but his subsequent rise has been meteoric.
Martinez joined Inter Milan a year ago and has had a solid first season in Italy, scoring nine goals in 35 games for the Nerazzurri. He has a shoot-on-sight nature to his play, averaging 2.4 shots per game in Serie A, and draws an average of 1.6 fouls per game, making him a handful for opposition defences.
Andre Silva
The 23-year-old Portugal striker was rejuvenated last season on loan at Sevilla after a disappointing first year with AC Milan. He netted nine times in 27 league games for the Andalucians in 2018/19 and boasts a reliable scoring return at national team level with 15 in 33 caps for the European champions.
During his spell with Sevilla, Silva was noted for his natural flair for getting into goalscoring positions and he also possesses magnificent crossing ability, sending in 0.93 accurate crosses per game last season. Having rediscovered his best form, now could be a good time for United to bring him to Old Trafford.
Inaki Williams
Having made his name at Athletic Bilbao as a winger, the 25-year-old was deployed mainly as a centre forward last season and consequently delivered his most productive campaign with 15 goals.
He is an incredibly consistent and reliable performer, playing in every league game for his club for the last three seasons.
Williams boasts magnificent pace and his dribbling ability makes him a nightmare for opposition defences to handle, drawing 1.4 fouls per game. He had long been a target for Liverpool but never made the move to Anfield. How sweet it would be for United if they were to pounce where their rivals hesitated.
Duvan Zapata
Juventus may have won an eighth straight title but the real heroes of Serie A last season were Atalanta, who trumped plenty of big-name clubs to finish third.
One of the main reasons for that exceptional campaign was the form of their Colombian striker, who scored 23 goals in the league for Gian Piero Gasperini’s men.
Incredibly, Zapata has spent each of the last four seasons on loan from a parent club, but his brilliant spell at Atalanta should surely secure him a permanent move to a bigger stage.
At 28, he is in the prime of his career and, unlike compatriot and ex-United flop Radamel Falcao, does not have a track record of injury problems.
Memphis Depay
The Dutch forward arrived at Old Trafford four years ago to plenty of fanfare but had a disappointing 18-month spell and was sold to Lyon in January 2017.
However, he has looked a man reborn in the south of France, with 34 goals in the last two seasons, and United could exercise a buyback clause if they wish to give him a second chance in England.
Depay’s attitude and lack of end product during his previous spell at United annoyed plenty of supporters but he seems a much more mature footballer now than in 2015.
Also, the player has said that he is open to a return to Manchester.