Sport

Manchester United are reportedly weighing up two different strikers this summer

Would you be happy with either of these?

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 29th July 2025

Manchester United are now said to be weighing up two main options when it comes to strikers this summer, having seemingly narrowed their search with just over a month left of the transfer window.

With The Athletic‘s David Ornstein having already intimated that there’s a “very good chance” current number nine Rasmus Højlund could “move on” as head coach Ruben Amorim looks to install his desired talents, it’s already been well publicised that more new arrivals will likely depend on sales.

That being said, the outlet’s Laurie Whitwell now reports that Man United are homing in on two specific names: Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins and Slovenian rising star, Benjamin Šeško.

Which one they decide to go and fully pursue remains to be seen.

At present, it’s believed that the club is beginning the process of assessing which of the forwards – both of whom are well-favoured by various English suitors and, indeed, across the continent – is not only the best fit on paper but the most viable option.

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Besides the prospective cost of each player, one of the big differences between the two talented attackers is their age profile, with Watkins now well within his peak at 29 and Šeško still just 22 and already showing plenty of promise and a tall ceiling.

According to Whitwell, “No decision has yet been made on which target to advance, but United are in contact on both Watkins and Sesko to establish the potential costs of each deal.” Their suitability for the Portuguese manager’s system is also important.

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Stat-wise, Watkins registered 17 goals and 14 assists last season and was one of the most prolific goal threats in Europe the previous term (27G 15A), while RB Leipzig’s Šeško notched 27 involvements in 44 appearances during the 2024/25 campaign, plus five more at international level.

It’s also worth noting that the former is already Premier League proven, having also scored big goals in major tournaments, not to mention having been on United’s radar for a few years now; journalist Samuel Luckhurst and other sources have also claimed that Watkins is “open” to Old Trafford.

Once again, however, a key stumbling block for either would be the transfers themselves, with Villa and Leipzig thought to be looking for something in the region of £60 million and £70 million, respectively.

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Returning to Whitwell, the Stockport-born Man United correspondent adds that Villa “might look to find an agreement at £40m to £45m” given their Arsenal were unwilling to patch their asking price back in the January window.

United are also said to have quickly moved on from Chelsea’s Nichola Jackson for the very same reason: all three individuals will inevitably come with big fees and wages.

On the other hand, were the Red Devils able to sell the likes of Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho, Antony – having quoted £50m to Al-Nassr for the currently ousted Brazilian – and quite possibly even Hojlund, they may be able to stretch their budget to afford the likes of highly sought-after Šeško.

He’s been big linked with big money moves since he burst onto the scene at Salzburg.

Obviously, Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee remain in the squad and are still relatively early in their careers full-stop, but it’s fair to say that neither have quite hit the ground running in red.

But with Marcus Rashford having also moved to Barcelona on loan with an option to buy (which could see further funds set aside in the transfer kitty in the near future), Amorim needs to find goals from somewhere – and soon.

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If the INEOS board were to bring in one of these strikers in the remainder of the transfer window, which one would you prefer, United fans?

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Featured Images — Amazon Prime Sport/Aston Villa (screenshot via YouTube)/The Manc Group

Sport

Jamie Carragher delivers damning Ruben Amorim verdict as pressure piles on Man United boss

Danny Jones Danny Jones Jamie Carragher says Man United must sack Ruben Amorim

Jamie Carragher has delivered a damning verdict on struggling manager Ruben Amorim, as he has declared that his time in Manchester “HAS to end” after more than 10 months at United.

The retired Liverpool and England player spoke on the situation at Man United and what the future holds for Amorim on Monday Night Football (MNF), joining Everton icon Duncan Ferguson on the punditry panel for Sky Sports.

While he is by no means the first to ponder how the Portuguese gaffer is still in post, his most recent comments are some of the strongest by a popular mainstream commentator thus far, and also further stick the boot in on what he thinks is a United administration that is rife with poor decision-making.

Both he and Ferguson were far from complimentary about the 40-year-old head coach, with Carragher going so far as to label his time at Old Trafford as “a disaster”, both for the club and, ultimately, his career moving forward.

‘Carra’ goes on to state that he believes “we’re waiting for the inevitable” and it’s now simply a matter of when INEOS decide to sack Amorim.

As you can see in the clip, the former defender says that he thinks there is almost an element of denial among the Man United administration at present, with the owners, CEO Omar Berrada and Director of Football Jason Wilcox having already backed him so heavily both publicly and in the transfer market, etc.

Despite the evaluations on MNF last night, Sky Sports reports that Amorim still has the backing of Sir Jim Ratcliffe; however, it arguably serves as even more evidence to Carragher’s point that the hierarchy perhaps just doesn’t want to concede what would be such a huge admission and/or defeat.

In fact, ex-Premier League striker Alan Shearer also shared a similar stance on the most recent episode of The Rest Is Football podcast, in which he said: “I genuinely believe that the owners or the people that are running the club at the minute have made that many errors in the last two years or 18 months since they’ve been there.

He went on to add that “it would look terrible to admit another error and sack him”, especially after so much faith, investment and carrying out so much restructuring around him as the focal point.

Unfortunately, even club legends like Wayne Rooney are starting to express their doubt as to whether Amorim is the right man for the United job, though he does shine more of a spotlight on the dressing room and believes that someone needs to – for lack of a better term – give the players a kick up the arse.

Rooney’s remarks have gone viral on social media, with many noting that you can ‘hear the pain’ in his voice when talking about his former home and how the institution has increasingly suffered in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson years.

For context, even with multiple unwanted records being broken under Erik ten Hag, Amorim has not only got his team off to the worst top-flight start since the 1992/93 campaign, but has just nine wins from a total of 33 league games in charge of the Red Devils.

Carra goes on to insist that not only does this have to end “as quickly as possible” for the sake of the club this season and moving forward, but if the one ‘next big thing’ and one-time potential Pep Guardiola successor is to keep his reputation intact. The question is, do you agree?

You can see Duncan Ferguson and Jamie Carragher’s full assessment of the current situation with Ruben Amorim and Manchester United as a whole down below.

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Featured Images — Sky Sports/MUTV (screenshots)

Sport

Ricky Hatton’s family share details of 18 mile-long Memorial Route next week

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Boxing great Ricky Hatton found dead at home, aged 46

A Memorial Route to celebrate the life of Ricky Hatton has been shared by the late boxer’s family.

The legendary sportsman and local figure was found dead at his home earlier this month – he was just 46 years old.

His family have now shared details of a procession which will take place next week, offering fans a chance to come out and pay their respects to ‘The Hitman’.

The Memorial Route will span some 18 miles and pass landmarks that shaped Ricky Hatton throughout his life and career.

It will begin in Hyde, where he spent most of his life, before heading on to the city centre for a funeral service at Manchester Cathedral.

Entry to the service itself will be by invitation only, but the lengthy cortège will allow plenty of opportunity for locals to pay their respects before then.

The Memorial Route will then wind up at the Etihad Stadium.

Ricky’s family has shared a map of the route and confirmed that it will pass pubs, gyms and other landmarks loved by the boxing great.

It will begin at The Cheshire Cheese pub in Gee Cross before heading on to The Harehill Tavern, and then up to the site of the former The New Inn pub.

The latter is a pub that Ricky’s parents ran, and in which his parents built him a boxing gym in the basement.

Though the pub is now closed and has been turned into housing, it’s here that doves will be released in his honour.

The Ricky Hatton Memorial Route will move on from here to pause at énergie Fitness Hyde Ricky Hatton, then to pass Hyde Town Hall and Betta Bodies Gym.

From here, it will make its way into the city centre, passing the AO Arena and making its way to Manchester Cathedral.

After the funeral service, the procession will finish at the Etihad Stadium – the home of Ricky Hatton’s beloved Manchester City.

The procession will begin at 9.45am on Friday 10 October, and is expected to reach the Cathedral for midday.

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Featured image: Wikimedia Commons, Aeropixels Photography

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