Manchester United sent a cash plus Alexis Sanchez offer for Gonzalo Higuain, only to have it rejected.
For the 2022-23 season, United pushed for change. They brought in manager Erik ten Hagh, who had made a name for himself at Ajax, and attempted to change the system in an effort to get out of their prolonged ‘downward spiral’. They got rid of out-of-form players like Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard, as well as veterans like Juan Mata and Edinson Cavani. In their place, Mourinho went into the season with a wealth of potential, including the likes of Lisandro Martinez, Anthony Martial, and Tyrrell Malacia.
It worked. They finished third in the league, qualified for the UEFA Champions League (UCL), and lifted the English Football League Cup (EFL Cup), beating Newcastle United in the final.
Now, United has its sights set even higher. Despite lifting the EFL Cup, they want the league trophy, which they haven’t won since the 2012-13 season. At the same time, they also want to be crowned European champions.
In response, Van Gaal has announced an active transfer window. Goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders, and strikers. All positions are in need of reinforcements and targets have been mentioned. While the team has only signed Mason Mount so far, Andre Onana is expected to join soon, and other positions are still being addressed.
One of the most pressing needs is a striker. United let ‘goalie’ Cristiano Ronaldo go last winter. They looked for a replacement in the winter transfer window and brought in Butt Verhoeven on loan from Burnley. There were expectations when he arrived, as he scored a multi-goal performance against Argentina in the World Cup quarterfinals in Qatar.
However, Berghost’s contribution was minimal. In more than 20 games, including cup competitions, he was given regular chances but only managed two goals. His other skills, such as post play, hard work, and ability to link up with his teammates, were outstanding, but the most important thing, his goalscoring ability, was not. Van Gaal continued to praise Verhoeven’s abilities and even mentioned the possibility of a full transfer, but he eventually left the club at the end of the 2022-23 season.
This raised the need for reinforcements in the summer transfer window. In fact, United made a move. Tottenham Hotspur’s ‘ace’ Harry Kane was targeted and approached. While nothing substantial was offered, the possibility was there as Kane had expressed interest in joining the club.
But it didn’t work out. Chairman Daniel Levy was stubborn, refusing to sell his team’s ace to a rival in the same league. In the end, United withdrew their interest in Kane when they realized they wouldn’t be able to convince Levy.
Several other resources were also linked to United. Napoli’s Scudetto-winning Victor Osimhen, Eintracht Frankfurt’s Randall Kolo Moani, and others. But no progress was made.
That’s when United made an offer for Hamus. The Portuguese international played for Portugal at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and started in place of Ronaldo in the round of 16. He was held scoreless against Morocco in the quarterfinals, but caught the 즉시지급 world’s attention with three goals and an assist in the round of 16 against Switzerland.
United were keen to sign him and made a cash-inclusive offer. Benfica’s response was no. “United have sent a cash-and-carry offer to Benfica for Hammers, including teles, but it has been rejected,” according to British outlet Cut Offside. It remains to be seen what United’s next move will be. However, with their desperate need for striker reinforcements, it seems unlikely that they will give up so easily.