Man Utd pursuing “one of Europe’s most in-form STs”

Bournemouth are next on the agenda for Ruben Amorim and Manchester United, with intrigue mounting over just who the Portuguese will have at his disposal on Monday night, not least in the forward areas.

Indeed, it has yet to be confirmed whether Bryan Mbeumo and Amad – alongside Noussair Mazraoui – will be in line to feature for the final time before heading off to AFCON, albeit with the trio pictured in first-team training on Thursday.

Among those not involved by all accounts, however, was £74m man, Benjamin Sesko, with it yet to be seen whether the Slovenian will make his return after sustaining a knee injury against Tottenham Hotspur last month.

The 22-year-old – who has scored just twice following his summer arrival from RB Leipzig – limped off in that 2-2 draw in north London, having squandered two potential openings following his introduction off the bench.

Regardless of his early “struggles”, as noted by Amorim, the loss of United’s number 30 remains a blow considering the lack of genuine alternatives, with Joshua Zirkzee a self-described ‘nine-and-a-half’.

That burden and reliance on Sesko could be aided in 2026, however, with a new centre-forward perhaps on the agenda.

Man Utd’s search for a striker

There was talk of moving for another Premier League proven figure like Mbeumo, and Matheus Cunha, in the form of Ollie Watkins over the summer, before Jason Wilcox and co ultimately settled on a long-term gamble, in the form of Sesko.

That decision, while still perhaps too soon to judge, has potentially backfired as far as INEOS are concerned, with Sesko yet to prove that he can be the man to end United’s long-standing number nine woes.

Not since the days of Robin van Persie has any Red Devil hit 20 Premier League goals in a season, with Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund notably scoring just seven top-flight goals between them in 2024/25.

With that in mind, Caught Offside are reporting that United could be in the mix for further reinforcement at the top end of the pitch, having joined Chelsea in the race for Strasbourg striker, Joaquin Panichelli.

As per the report, it is the west Londoners who are leading the race for the Argentine’s signature, due to their BlueCo connections, although the Old Trafford side – alongside Aston Villa – are believed to have indirectly expressed their interest via intermediaries.

Enzo Maresca’s side, clearly, hold the advantage, yet if INEOS can lodge a suitable bid, they could provide Amorim with a wildcard Sesko upgrade.

How Panichelli compares to Sesko

There’s no suggestion that Sesko should be written off already, with United’s £74m investment highlighting their plan to back the young striker to be the main man later down the line, if not necessarily this season.

As was felt by Hojlund before him, however, he can’t shoulder the goalscoring responsibility on his own, having yet to prove he is a truly clinical and consistent striker.

The one-time Red Bull Salzburg starlet’s tally of two goals makes for grim reading with the New Year approaching, with Panichelli, meanwhile, regarded as “one of the most in-form strikers in Europe right now”, in the view of scout Antonio Mango.

The 23-year-old forward has enjoyed a real breakout season under the watchful eye of Liam Rosenior, having already scored nine goals in just 15 Ligue 1 outings in 2025/26.

It must be noted that he hasn’t scored in any of his last four, although, as seen below, only five strikers across Europe’s top five leagues have bettered his tally to date, further supporting Mango’s standout claim.

A true, old-fashioned centre-forward, where Panichelli also catches the eye due to his work ethic when leading the line, ranking in the top 2% of European forwards for interceptions and the top 7% for tackles per 90, as per FBref.

For comparison, Sesko ranks in the just the bottom 35% and the bottom 12% for those same two metrics, respectively, albeit while unsurprisingly ranking in the top 22% for aerial duels won.

It’s not as if the Strasbourg man’s form is a flash in the pan either, having netted 20 league goals in Spain last season for CD Mirandes, while on loan from Alaves.

Having been in red-hot form in front of goal over the last 18 months, the 6 foot 3 marksman could represent a left-field solution to Amorim’s centre-forward woes, provided United can see off Chelsea in the tussle for his signature.

Sesko might require patience, but if the Red Devils are after someone to make an immediate impact, Panichelli might just be that.

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