Manchester United are going to be in the transfer market for a new striker after Cristiano Ronaldo was released from his contract.
The Red Devils are likely to look for a short-term solution in January before going for a prolific long-term striker in the summer.
With that being said, The Athletic has listed a few options Man United can look to as the 37-year-old's replacement.
The Athletic's picks
The Brentford striker has had an amazing fairytale story. From playing in the lower divisions of English football, he's now one of the best strikers in the Premier League. Toney has scored 11 goals this season, including a match-winning brace against Manchester City.
He's a strong, prolific finisher — a proper no.9. Despite only standing 1.79m tall, he wins 3.5 duels per game on average which puts him in the top 15% by aerials won among forwards in the top-5 leagues. Erik ten Hag loves a forwards who can head the ball — Sebastian Haller scored quite a few headers for Ajax last season.
There's one problem with Toney and it's not about his football — Toney has 232 cases of betting allegations against him and could be banned by the FA if found guilty.
Memphis Depay reportedly wants Barcelona to terminate his contract in January which would make him a free agent and a cheap solution.
Since leaving Old Trafford, Memphis has developed into a forward and become more versatile. He can play down the middle and scored 13 goals for Barca last season. 22 goals and 12 assists in the 2019/20 season, his last year at Lyon, are what brought him to Barca in the first place.
The Czech Republic star has qualities akin to Robin van Persie. He's strong, quick in the final third, and capable of finishing off chances without hesitation.
Schick scored 24 goals for Bayer Leverkusen last season, averaging one non-penalty goal per game and outscoring Erling Haaland in Bundesliga. He has a contract until 2027, which could make it very difficult for United to sign him cheaply.
Our picks
The son of famous French footballer Lillian Thuram, Marcus has strongly recovered from an injury last season and made France's squad for the World Cup. He has 13 goals so far this season, 10 goals in the Bundesliga.
Thuram can play up front as well as on the left wing, making inside runs with his strong right foot. Thuram's contract with Borussia Monchengladbach expires in June 2023, which makes it easier for Man United to sign him for cheap in January.
A workhorse in La Liga for the last few years, De Tomas has the attitude that can help him thrive under Ten Hag. His hunger for goals, impressive work rate and personality can help him be a clever signing.
He's scored 35 goals in 81 La Liga games, despite playing for the lower sides. De Tomas is only valued at €12m million making him a smart and cheap option United can look at in January.
However, the 28-year-old's attitude led to him burning the bridges at Espanyol, not playing until January because he can't be registered and missing out on being part of Spain's World Cup squad.
The striker took it to the final days of the simmer transfer window because he wanted to join Rayo Vallecano, fell out with everyone at Espanyol and was let go as a free agent. Thus, he couldn't be registered until January, so he's not played in the last few months.
