Lukaku 2.0: Man Utd holding talks over signing £40m "wrecking ball"

Results remain inconsistent, yet Ruben Amorim’s preferred 3-4-3 system is starting to come to fruition at Manchester United, with the Red Devils heading into the international break in buoyant mood after convincing wins of Real Sociedad and Leicester City.

Even in Tuesday’s 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest, there were further signs of encouragement, albeit with Amorim himself admitting that his side “need to be better” in the final third.

That narrow defeat saw United fire off 23 shots without getting on the scoresheet, with the fact remaining that Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee have scored just six Premier League goals between them this season.

Such a return from the Red Devils’ only senior options at centre-forward simply isn’t good enough, with the wait still on at Old Trafford for a proven and consistent number nine to lead the line.

As showcased below, not since Robin van Persie’s debut campaign has a player reached 20 league goals in a season for the club. Elsewhere in Manchester, by contrast, Erling Haaland has reached that milestone in each of his three seasons at the Etihad to date.

Having actually only scored 37 goals in 30 top-flight games as a collective in 2024/25, it’s evident where the problem lies, with it seemingly no surprise that work is already being done on potentially trying to solve those goal-scoring woes.

Latest on Man Utd’s search for a striker

In each of the last two summers, United have forked out for a ‘striker’ in the form of Hojlund and Zirkzee, with the pair costing just over £100m combined following their respective arrivals from Serie A.

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As alluded to above, however, that extensive investment has not solved the Red Devils’ woes at the top end of the pitch, with the club almost back to square one in that regard, heading into the upcoming summer window.

Recent reports in Germany have named the likes of Victor Osimhen and Viktor Gyokeres among a raft of targets that INEOS are believed to be considering, with the latter man having scored 66 goals in just 68 games under Amorim’s watch at Sporting CP.

According to the latest claims, however, the Old Trafford side could look closer to home to find a new number nine, with the Daily Mail reporting that the club are stepping up their interest in Ipswich Town talisman, Liam Delap.

As per the report, United have held internal talks regarding a move for the in-demand striker, with as many as five clubs seemingly battling for his signature.

The suggestion is that the presence of technical director Jason Wilcox – who knows the 22-year-old from their time at Manchester City’s academy – could have given Amorim and co an ‘advantage’ in that race, with the Englishman set to be available for around £40m, amid Ipswich’s looming relegation.

Such a move would be the first time United have plucked a new senior striker from within the top-flight since landing Romelu Lukaku back in 2017.

Why Man Utd could be set for their next Lukaku

Let’s face it, Lukaku’s time in Manchester is likely not looked upon favourably by all parties, with the Belgian star departing after just two years at the club, having been criticised by journalist Samuel Luckhurst for his “woeful and costly” finishing during Jose Mourinho’s final days in charge.

There were also criticisms made due to the fact that the now-Napoli man had “bulked up too much” ahead of his second season at Old Trafford, as Luckhurst noted, with those woes culminating in a swift £74m exit to Inter in the summer of 2019.

The one-time Chelsea man may not have delivered quite what was expected upon his £75m move from Everton in 2017, yet his goal return has aged impressively, when considering the woes of Hojlund et al.

Indeed, Lukaku – who was just 23 when he made the switch from Goodison Park – finished off with a respectable total of 42 goals in 96 games. Hojlund, by contrast, has scored just 24 times in 83 outings in all competitions.

Lukaku arrived with a fearsome reputation amid his tally of 87 in 166 for the Toffees, with the same perhaps true of young Delap, with the Man City youth product having scored ten times in his first full season in the top-flight for the Tractor Boys.

That return – which betters every United player in the league in 2024/25 – has seen the England U21 star described as a “problem for every Premier League defence” by data analyst Ben Mattinson.

Also described as a “wrecking ball” by Sky Sports reporter, Lewis Jones, Delap mirrors Lukaku in being able to offer that physical focal point in attack, having seemingly relished the battle with Harry Maguire in the meeting between the two sides at Old Trafford.

What has been particularly evident this season is the Ipswich star’s ability to drive his side forward, as he ranks in the top 18% of European strikers for progressive carries, and in the top 16% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.

Lukaku in his pomp at Everton was also that kind of bull-dozing centre-forward – as illustrated in his catalogue of goals below – with it having been understandable as to why Mourinho and co were so keen to land his services.

There may be a risk of Delap enduring similar woes to Belgium’s all-time record scorer, not least considering he is far less experienced in top-flight football, yet he does mirror a young Lukaku in being a high potential centre-forward who has showcased what he can do up against Premier League backlines.

He is a handful, no doubt about that.

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