After the chaos and jubilation of Thursday night, Manchester United returned to their usual selves on Sunday afternoon, as the Red Devils slipped to a 15th Premier League defeat of the season at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

In many ways, it was the same old story for the hosts at Old Trafford, with Ruben Amorim forced to watch on as his lacklustre side squandered a litany of chances, before being punished late on by a sublime Pablo Sarabia free-kick.

Indeed, on a different day, Alejandro Garnacho could well have walked away with a hat-trick of assists, having picked out both Bruno Fernandes and Mason Mount inside the box, while also seeing Rasmus Hojlund come agonisingly close to getting on the end of his clever pull-back.

The struggling Dane – who has scored just once in all competitions since mid-December – also failed to pick out Kobbie Mainoo when advancing into space in the second-half, with Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer subsequently stating that the “damaged” 22-year-old “isn’t ready” to be United’s starting striker.

24 goals in 88 games for the Red Devils makes for grim reading for the £64m man, with it no surprise that the addition of a new centre-forward is high on the agenda this summer – alongside the capture of Wolves talisman, Matheus Cunha.

Latest on Man Utd’s search for a forward

With all of United’s eggs now in the Europa League basket, there remains an anxious wait as to whether or not INEOS will have a Champions League budget to work with next season, with so much resting on success on the continent.

Regardless of what happens between now and the end of May, however, it does appear that the Old Trafford hierarchy are intent on adding Cunha to their ranks, with Fabrizio Romano outlining that the Red Devils are leading the race for the Brazilian’s signature.

The 25-year-old has scored 14 goals in the league this season – including against Amorim’s side on Boxing Day – with The Athletic previously outlining that he is viewed as a solution for one of the two number ten berths in the 3-4-3 set-up.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

That same report had indicated that Ipswich Town starlet, Liam Delap, is being considered as a potential upgrade at centre-forward, although the Englishman is evidently not the only candidate, as revealed by Manchester Evening News journalist, Samuel Luckhurst.

As Luckhurst has noted, United have remained in contact with the agent of RB Leipzig sensation, Benjamin Sesko, having previously missed out on the Slovenian superstar back in the summer of 2022.

The interest in the 6 foot 5 striker – who has a £58m release clause in his current deal – appears to extend even further back than that, with prior reports outlining that the Red Devils rejected the chance to sign him for just £2.5m from NK Domzale as a teenager back in 2019.

This summer could then finally see the 21-year-old arrive at the Theatre of Dreams, with Sesko potentially set to represent the perfect upgrade on both Hojlund and Delap.

How Man Utd could upgrade their centre-forward ranks

For all United’s success in Europe – as they currently remain unbeaten in the Europa League – the fact of the matter is they have been simply abject domestically, having found themselves just two points above 17th-placed West Ham United.

A key issue has been the Club‘s woes at the top end of the pitch after scoring just 38 times in 33 top-flight games – almost half of what champions-elect Liverpool have recorded at the summit (75).

With Hojlund and the now stricken Joshua Zirkzee scoring just six league goals between them, the need of a new number nine is bordering on desperation – enter, Sesko.

Described as a “monster” of a striker by analyst Ben Mattinson, the 41-cap international has enjoyed another fine campaign in Germany, netting 20 times in 41 games in all competitions, including four goals in eight Champions League appearances.

Including his time at sister Club Red Bull Salzburg, Sesko has now scored 12 league goals or more in each of his last three seasons. The 22-year-old Delap, for instance, has only broken into double figures for the first time in 2024/25, in what is his first campaign in a top-tier league.

As indicated in the table above, it is the Leipzig star who comes out on top too across a string of attacking and defensive metrics, showcasing just why United have been wise to maintain contact with his representatives in recent years.

A player with “incredible potential” – in the words of Jurgen Klopp – what particularly stands out is Sesko’s venomous shooting ability, having already chalked up a stunning catalogue of long-range, pinpoint efforts in his career thus far.

While there may be fears over enduring something of a Hojlund repeat, considering the potential price tag and age of the Slovenian hero, Sesko – unlike the current United man and Delap – has proven himself at the elite level over a number of seasons now.

He would represent the high-potential talent that Amorim and co are craving, who can make an instant impact.

For the third campaign in a row, the Red Devils look set to dip into the market for a new number nine – they simply can’t afford to get it wrong again…

Related

He’s a lot like Cunha: Man Utd hopeful of signing “frightening” £50m star

Manchester United are eyeing up a deal for a star who could be their own Matheus Cunha.