Everyone except Manchester United’s best-in-class executives was certain that a new striker was essential ahead of the season.
Benjamin Sesko spent pre-season on the sidelines, and Joshua Zirkzee’s performances in the summer once again underlined why he describes himself as a nine-and-a-half.
Still, INEOS decided against bringing in a number nine, forcing Michael Carrick to make do with a half-fit Sesko and wingers Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo.
The 23-year-old Slovenian has not featured for the Red Devils since their defeat in the Carabao Cup on 16 September, and now it has emerged that he will be out until at least January with a shin injury.
As such, Carrick will have to continue using square pegs in round holes for the coming months, unless Jason Wilcox wakes up and decides to do something about it.
| Player | Season | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| B. Šeško | 2026/27 | 2 | 0 |
| J. Zirkzee | 2026/27 | 1 | 0 |
According to The Athletic, United are exploring the market for centre-forwards in the winter window and are considering signing Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Not only would Carrick, if he remains at the helm, have to wait until January for Calvert-Lewin, but it could also prove extremely difficult and costly to sign the 29-year-old from bitter rivals Leeds United mid-season.
As such, we believe United should first look at the free agent striker market.
Why Manchester United must make a move for Mauro Icardi
In that regard, Mauro Icardi should be at the top of Manchester United’s shortlist.
Icardi has made headlines wherever he has gone, both with his goals and off-the-pitch antics. The latter might be one of the reasons why he is without a club at just 33 years old.
However, the Argentine enjoyed an encouraging last campaign, scoring 16 goals for Galatasaray before departing the Turkish giants.
A product of Barcelona’s academy, Icardi has scored goals across Europe, impressing for Sampdoria, Inter Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and Galatasaray.
The clinical striker, known for his elite movement in and around the penalty area, boasts 250 goals and 68 assists at senior level.
Recently, Icardi’s agent ruled out a return to Argentina, suggesting the prolific forward wants to keep playing in Europe.
Given his age, experience of playing for top clubs, and respectable output compared to United’s current options up front, Icardi should certainly be part of INEOS’s thinking to ease Carrick’s squad concerns.
United have previously taken gambles with high-profile, veteran strikers, including Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani.
A stop-gap solution was ideally supposed to be a thing of the past under the new ownership, but desperate times call for desperate measures, making Icardi an appealing option.
Featured image by Ahmad Mora via Getty Images
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