Manchester United Eye Alexander Sorloth as Striker Search Intensifies
Manchester United’s late-window hunt for a centre-forward has taken a fresh twist, with Alexander Sorloth emerging as a genuine option from Atletico Madrid.
Having already pushed hard to reshape the squad with the £70million signing of Carlos Baleba from Brighton, United are now scrambling to add a striker and a left-back before Tuesday’s deadline. Michael Carrick wants cover and competition for Benjamin Sesko through the middle and a challenger to Luke Shaw on the left. Time is short. The gaps are obvious.
Joshua Zirkzee is at the heart of it all.
The Dutchman, once viewed as a long-term piece of United’s attacking puzzle, has approved a return to Italy with Fiorentina, according to Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio. Fiorentina have gone as far as sending United a loan proposal that includes an option to buy next summer, a move that would leave Carrick light up front if United do not react quickly.
They are reacting.
United have already sounded out Freiburg’s Igor Matanovic and Crystal Palace forward Jean-Philippe Mateta as possible replacements for Zirkzee. Both fit the mould of physical, penalty-box strikers who can play as a focal point. Neither deal is simple. That is where Sorloth enters the frame.
Sorloth put on the table
TEAMtalk report that intermediaries have offered Sorloth to United, presenting the 6ft 5in Norway international as a ready-made solution. His numbers command attention: 175 goals in 475 senior games. A specialist No 9, a target man by build but more than just a battering ram, Sorloth is seen as someone who could push Sesko hard for the starting role and ensure Carrick is not left relying on a single out-and-out striker.
Crucially, Sorloth is open to the idea.
The 28-year-old is said to be willing to leave Atletico and would consider a return to the Premier League. His first spell in England, with Crystal Palace between January 2018 and September 2020, never truly got going. Just 20 appearances, punctuated by loans to Gent and Trabzonspor, left more questions than answers. A move to Old Trafford would hand him the kind of stage he never really had at Selhurst Park – and the chance to rewrite his English chapter entirely.
Atletico will not stand in his way for any price, though. His contract runs until June 2028, and the Spanish club want to secure a replacement before signing off on any sale. They are weighing up moves for Arsenal’s Gabriel Jesus and Juventus forward Jonathan David as possible successors, a clear indication that Sorloth’s departure is on the table if the right chain of deals falls into place.
The exact fee Atletico would demand remains unclear at this stage, a key detail in a window where United have to balance ambition with financial reality.
A crowded Atleti attack, a restless market
Sorloth is not the only Atletico forward in the spotlight.
Barcelona and Arsenal continue to circle around his team-mate Julian Alvarez, but Atletico insist the Argentine will stay. Alvarez has publicly confirmed his desire to leave, a stance that has already sparked anger among sections of the club’s support. In that context, allowing another forward to go would require careful management from Diego Simeone and the Atletico hierarchy.
For United, though, the equation is simpler: lose Zirkzee without bringing in another striker, and the squad looks dangerously thin in the one area no top side can afford to neglect.
On the Talk of the Devils podcast, Laurie Whitwell underlined the likely shape of United’s late business. “Loan is what I have heard in terms of incoming,” he said, hinting at the financial constraints shaping their plans. Andy Mitten, speaking on the same show, echoed the sense that movement is coming. “Will we see new players come in? I think it’s increasing, I think it’s a possibility. I don’t know if the player would be signed or loaned. If you lose a striker, United look light up top.”
That is the crux of it.
Carrick needs a body, but not just any body. He needs presence, goals, and someone who can shoulder the physical and mental demands of leading the line at Old Trafford. Sorloth, with his size, experience and willingness to move, ticks plenty of boxes on paper.
Now the clock is ticking. United weigh Mateta, monitor Matanovic, and keep the door open for Sorloth. Atletico wait for their own domino to fall. One decision in Madrid could yet decide whether a 6ft 5in Norwegian walks out at Old Trafford as United’s next No 9.
