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Manchester United failed to bring in a new forward before the summer transfer window shut late Tuesday night, though reports suggest "some players" believed adding a striker would have been a wise decision.
United directed their summer business toward central midfield, signing Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba for a combined fee of up to $209 million (£155 million). The position had been a weakness the previous season due to thin depth, a situation worsened by Casemiro's free-agent departure and Manuel Ugarte sustaining a serious injury at the World Cup.
With the new arrivals, Carrick now has five midfielders competing for two spots, including Kobbie Mainoo and promising academy product Tyler Fletcher.
The club also overhauled its goalkeeping setup, sending Altay Bayındır out on loan and bringing in Karl Darlow as a seasoned deputy to Senne Lammens.
With Newcastle United refusing to sell Lewis Hall and no other realistic short-term option emerging, the left back position went unfilled. Signing a striker appeared to rank low on the priority list despite fleeting interest in Jean-Philippe Mateta and others. The squad looked to have sufficient cover around Benjamin Šeško, though not everyone appears to share that view.
With Šeško still working his way back to full fitness after picking up an injury in early May, Matheus Cunha has led the line in both Premier League outings so far. However, The Athletic reports that unnamed squad members had hoped a striker would be signed so that Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo could play "more in their best positions."
What Is Matheus Cunha's Best Position?
Mbeumo, despite occasionally being deployed as a striker last season, is United's first-choice right winger, with Amad Diallo serving as his primary backup and rival for the spot.
Cunha spent a large portion of last season on the left flank. He is best known as an inside forward or No. 10, though the latter role is firmly occupied by Bruno Fernandes, while Marcus Rashford has rejoined the squad to provide genuine competition on the wing. Patrick Dorgu also factors into the left-side picture and brings a different dimension to the attack.
The No. 9 role — especially with Šeško not yet at full throttle and the added fixture load that comes with the Champions League's return — could arguably be where Cunha contributes most.
It is also worth highlighting that he started four of Brazil's five World Cup games this summer as a centre forward, wearing the No. 9 shirt and netting three goals. The former Wolverhampton Wanderers man is the most adaptable of United's attacking options, yet he is not a traditional penalty-box striker in the mould of Šeško. Neither is Joshua Zirkzee, who is often typecast as one due to his Erling Haaland-like physical build.
Zirkzee is still at Manchester after Juventus chose to sign Nick Woltemade from Newcastle this week, while late interest from Everton — following the breakdown of their move for Folarin Balogun from Monaco — was rejected for arriving too close to the deadline.
Could Man Utd Still Sign a Striker?
In theory, yes. In practice, almost certainly not.
The transfer window has now closed, but players who held free-agent status before the deadline can still be signed. That said, the process is not without restrictions.
The Champions League registration deadline has already passed, meaning any late signings would be ineligible for European competition until the next registration window ahead of the knockout rounds.
For Premier League purposes, there must also be an available slot in the 25-man squad, which excludes U-21 players born on or after January 1, 2006 from the count. United currently occupy 24 of the permitted 25 places.
A number of free-agent strikers remain available, but the likelihood of United pursuing any of them is slim to none. Among those on the market are 38-year-old Karim Benzema following his Al Hilal exit, along with Mauro Icardi, Joselu, Andrea Belotti, Cédric Bakambu and even Antony Martial.