Another summer, Manchester United faces the urgent need to add a top-class striker. And like many previous times, the "Red Devils" continue to show hesitation in this type of deal.
The 2024-2025 season will certainly be one of the most unforgettable campaigns for Man United fans, although for some unfortunate reasons.
Man United ended the season in 15th place in the Premier League - a record low in the club's history, in addition to the defeat in the Europa League final against Tottenham. Scoring has become an almost impossible task for coach Ruben Amorim's team throughout the season.
Amorim, who took over the hot seat at Old Trafford from Erik ten Hag last November, has yet to make a clear impression. Some even say he is causing the team to decline - something that seems to have hit rock bottom before.
However, a rare bright spot is that Amorim possesses a clear tactical vision for how he wants Man United to operate.
Despite many shortcomings, especially when adapting to the harsh English football environment, M.U under Amorim has become a difficult challenge for the big guys. Especially their ability to defend defensively when facing opponents of superior quality.
However, the "Red Devils" success or failure in the 2025-2026 season will likely depend on their ability to score. If they continue to waste opportunities like last season, Man United will have to witness themselves being knocked out of the race right from the starting line.
The Manchester team has made efforts to improve its strength in the fair with contracts such as Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo. However, they still lack a true striker - a number of 9 capable of connecting the chains and shaping the attacking play.
There is always an invisible burden when wearing the Man United shirt, even though this team has not won any major titles for more than a decade. And that pressure is clearly overwhelming for the current attack.
Rasmus Hojlund took 15 rounds to get his first goal in the Premier League in the 2023-2024 season. Despite his explosive form since then, he has only finished the season with 10 goals in the domestic league, and a total of 16 goals in all competitions. And most of them are meaningless goals in the Champions League.
More worryingly, entering the second season, the Danish striker was completely overshadowed. Hojlund has only scored 4 goals in the Premier League and 10 goals in 52 matches in all competitions.
Joshua Zirkzee - who is expected to bring a new breeze - has even had a worse debut season. The striker has only scored three Premier League goals and a total of seven in 49 games.
Despite describing himself as a "number 9.5" - a mix between the striker and the attack - Zirkzee has failed to show the outstanding qualities of both positions.
The deadlock has forced Amorim to fend over by using attacking midfielders like Bruno Fernandes, and more surprisingly, young talent Kobbie Mainoo in the highest role.
Meanwhile, youngster Chido Obi was also promoted to the first team earlier than expected, in a desperate effort to find a name that can score regularly.
