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COMMENT: Jadon Sancho will help. As will Jack Grealish. And Jude Bellingham is a dive for the future. But above all, topping that summer priority list for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is a new striker …
It does not cover Marcus Rashford. Neither did Anthony Martial. Solskjaer wants something different. Whether in the form of Odion Ighalo, or a longer-term solution, Manchester United will kick off next season with an outdated and outdated target man.
For Ighalo, he has the baton at the moment, although all that could change, even before the end of this current campaign. If the noise outside of China is believed… the Nigerian international has a new contract waiting to be signed upon his return to Shanghai Shenhua. Ighalo’s parent club is raising an already extraordinary deal from £ 330,000 a week to £ 400,000. Emotions don’t matter. Childhood dreams. Such a ticket would be difficult to reject at any time, let alone in current circumstances …
So the good money He is in Ighalo thanking Solskjaer for the opportunity to live a dream, packing up his gear and flying back to Shanghai. Either by July 1 or if the two clubs can reach an agreement on the 31-year-old who plays the extended Premier League season before returning.
Either way, Solskjaer will return to the starting point. Going back to those days after Erling Haaland’s decision to leave it blank and sign with Borussia Dortmund during the New Year.
Haaland Ighalo Solskjaer wants a center-forward. The needs one. Goals. Clean sheets. An undefeated streak of 11 games. It is no coincidence that everything clicked for United once Ighalo was carried out the doors. If it’s not going to be the next Nigerian season, Solskjaer hopes it will be the third time he’s lucky this summer.
Not surprisingly, news of interest has surfaced in Timo Werner in the past week. As this column told you before Christmas, the RB Leipzig forward has always been on Solskjaer’s radar, although it was never a priority. The belief is always that Haaland would leave RB Salzburg for Old Trafford in either January or June.
With a ‘on the go’ purchase clause (which includes appearances, goals, etc.) of around € 50 million, you can understand that United is reviving its interest in Germany’s international. Although it must be said, Werner’s priority, and the probable destination, will be Liverpool. As much as it has been asserted over the weekend, the idea that FSG, the club’s owners, will go another summer, as they did last year, without significant investment is tenuous at best. Jurgen Klopp will use money and Werner has made no secret that Liverpool is where he wants to play his football. In fact, given such robust statements, it’s hard to see how Werner could get comfortable at Old Trafford with fans who know how much he pushed to get to Anfield.
Instead, at least alongside Werner, another name is being seriously considered within United. Young. Prolific. It conforms to the criteria established by Solskjaer. And the manager knows him. Alexander Sorloth made his way into Rosenborg just as Solskjaer was making a name for himself as Molde’s coach. At 24 years old and 1.95 cm tall, Sorloth has proven his worth in Turkey this season, scoring 19 goals in 26 Super Lig games with Trabzonspor.
A finisher. One who can play with his back to the goal. Involve others. And be a target for those on the ball. All the qualities that can be built and improved given its youth. Of course, Sorloth is being considered within Carrington …
Such a record was always going to attract interest and, wild as the local press may be, it cannot be denied that Sorloth has become one of the most coveted strikers in Europe. Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, PSG and Juventus have been mentioned as possible destinations this summer, as has United.
“I’ve seen the rumors, there are so many,” says Sorloth. “I have read them and continue to receive information about the teams that are interested.”
And the crazy thing is that its parent club, Crystal Palace, will have no say in the matter.
Palace manager Roy Hodgson may claim otherwise, but both agents for the player and Trabzonspor insist there is no return to Selhurst Park for Sorloth. Palace negotiated this loan agreement with the intention of selling, and for only 6 million euros. Today, you can multiply that price by seven and you could Get up close to what Trabzonspor plans to order for the Norway international this summer.
And ask them to do it. The Turks see the opportunity to kill. There are no two ways to do it, Palace has flown this one.
Dad Goran, a former Norwegian international, said: “Trabzonspor is a great team. They take care of each other and play as a team. My son struggled but learned to deal with it. After a difficult time in the Premier League, he is doing a amazing job in Turkey. I’m proud of him. “
Trabzonspor has been good for Sorloth. Like Turkey. But just like Dad, who had 12 months with Bursaspor during his game days, this could be a one-season revival for Alexander. Enough to show that Palace was an aberration, not the norm.
Which is what Solskjaer is now discussing with those he relies on. If it was agreed that Sorloth’s troubles last season were more about Palace than about the player, that summer checklist will start with an offer submitted to Trabzonspor.
Next season, a Norwegian may still be leading the United line after all …
