Not Victor Osimhen or Gakpo – Manchester United are going to sign their own Erling Haaland for Erik ten Hag

Manchester United intends to hire a world-class striker next summer to neutralize the threat posed by Erling Haaland around the city. Erik ten Hag desperately needs a new striker with Cristiano Ronaldo on the rise and Anthony Martial prone to injury. When one arrives, they will have a realistic chance of challenging for the Premier League crown.

Manchester United has begun to gel under Ten Hag.

They had a rough start to the season, losing their first two Premier League games against Brighton and Brentford, but have only lost once since.

United is now fifth in the table at the time of writing. If they win their game in hand, they will move up to fourth, ahead of Newcastle.

There have certainly been numerous promising indicators.

United’s defense is looking solid these days, led by Diogo Dalot and Lisandro Martinez. Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof, Luke Shaw, and Raphael Varane have all performed admirably when called up.

The Red Devils are lucky to have world-class midfielders in Casemiro, Christian Eriksen, and Bruno Fernandes. Fred, Scott McTominay, and Donny van de Beek round out the supporting characters nicely.

However, there are still issues at the top.

Ronaldo isn’t the player he once was, and it’s getting clearer with each passing game. He has only scored once in the league this season and has wasted four good chances against West Ham, keeping the Hammers in the game.

And, while Martial has shone when called upon, his injury issues appear to be worsening, with the striker making just four appearances in all competitions so far.

Rashford has proven to be a reliable option in the midfield, filling the role that Louis van Gaal first assigned to him when he came into the scene in 2016.

But there’s a feeling the 25-year-old would be more effective on the right, with Antony on the left and someone else in the center.

Ten Hag has regularly lamented his team’s lack of cutting-edge this season, and for the time being, it isn’t hurting them.

But it might in the long run, which is why the Red Devils are all in accord that they need a world-class operator at the apex of their attack next summer.

Ten Hag was aware of this when he took over in the summer. He intended to sign Darwin Nunez from Benfica, but he had his sights set on Liverpool.

When it became clear that the Red Devils had other objectives to prioritize, such as midfield, attempts to hire a new marksman were shelved.

United will try again this summer. They understand that they must if they are to progress and become the whole team that their manager desires.

One man on their radar is Atletico Madrid’s Joao Felix, who reminded everyone of his great talents with a stunning brace against Cadiz on Saturday.

He’s also had a falling out with Diego Simeone in Spain, which could offer the Red Devils hope that a deal can be reached.

Victor Osimhen of Napoli is on a roll, having scored seven goals in eight Serie A games this season.

Though he is content in Italy, he has previously discussed a move to United and confirmed that the club contacted him about a move when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was in charge.

And links to Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez have emerged at a time when Simeone Inzaghi’s side is struggling financially.

United understands the need of having its own Haaland to prevent the real thing from dominating the top flight for many years to come.

It’ll be a big event, one that might determine whether power stays on the blue or red side of town.