Manchester United’s current striker troubles are no secret, are they? Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee are now unable of leading the line for the Premier League club, and former coach Benni McCarthy, according to The Mirror, has revealed which three individuals were on their centre striker shortlist under Erik ten Hag.
In the summer of 2023, Ten Hag’s second year in charge, a new line-leader was a top objective. The aforementioned Hojlund was signed for a sum of £72 million, but the young Dane has been inconsistent at Old Trafford.
But who are the three other names Manchester United, 13-time Premier League champions under Sir Alex Ferguson’s storied reign, were keeping an eye on before Copenhagen-born Hojlund walked through the doors of the Theatre of Dreams? Let’s look at what they’re up to now.
Harry Kane represents Bayern Munich.
“In the summer of 2023, Harry Kane was our number-one objective. Kane was the primary objective, but the price was clearly a concern. Because he would have been leaving Spurs for United, a few million pounds were added to the price,” McCarthy explained.
There’s no denying that Harry Kane has been one of the top line-leaders in world football since tearing it up in England for Tottenham Hotspur – and McCarthy claimed that having Hojlund learn from the talismanic Englishman would have been the ideal option.
“But for £100 million, if you look at it now, you’d say it was well worth it because he’s gone to Bayern and he’s still producing and scoring,” the former Blackburn Rovers and Porto forward added.
So you believe we should have taken the plunge and signed Harry Kane before attempting to invest in Rasmus Hojlund. Rasmus would have benefited from having someone like Harry Kane involved. So, yes, Harry Kane was Erik’s number one target. Erik truly wanted him.
Kane, who was born in London, joined Bayern Munich the following summer and has since become one of the Bundesliga’s most lethal strikers, with 73 goals and 22 assists in 76 appearances.
Randal Kolo Muani, Juventus (on loan).
McCarthy included Juventus loanee Randal Kolo Muani, who was playing for Eintracht Frankfurt at the time, in Ten Hag’s three-man striker shortlist. He added, “Kolo Muani was also quite high on that list.
Admired by fellow Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, the versatile Frenchman joined big-spenders Paris Saint-Germain in September 2023, but struggled to make an impact in the French capital, scoring 11 goals and providing seven assists in 54 games.
A loan move to Juventus in January 2025 provided him with an opportunity to rediscover his talent, and it is fair to say that he has hit the ground running in Turin, netting five goals in six games for the Italian top flight side.
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Manchester United is likely to approach his representation about a permanent deal if he plans to return to the Parc des Princes this summer. It is unclear whether one will come to fruition.
Victor Osimhen currently plays for Galatasaray on loan.
Victor Osimhen was one of the hottest properties in world football a few years ago, thanks to his frightening pace of goalscoring in Italy, and Chelsea was one of the top contenders to win the tug-of-war for his signature.
The 35-cap Nigeria international joined Galatasaray on a temporary basis this summer, but will return to Napoli in four months. In Turkey, he has 19 goals in 24 games, although he could have been playing in England.
Victor Osimhen was also on the list. But I felt that if you’re going to spend that much money (£100 million or more), you should get the whole thing.
McCarthy maintained that, unlike Kane, Ten Hag and his crew believed that Osimhen, who is still largely considered as one of the best African players in international football today, was not the ‘full package’, which is why they passed up the opportunity to sign him.
Rasmus Hojlund’s 24/25 League Statistics versus Kane, Kolo Muani, and Osimhen
Statistic
Hojlund
Kane
Kolo Muani
Osimhen
Appearances
14(6)
20
4
15(2)
Goals + assists
2 + 0
21 + 6
5 + 1
14 + 4
Shots per game.
0.8
3.9
2.3
4.6
Pass success rate (%).
78.2
81.5
61.9
66.7
Key passes each game.
0.6
1.3
1
1.4
Dribbles per game.
0.3
0.9
2
0.4
Overall Rating
6.24
7.93
7.83
7.62
