Manchester United Targets Alexander Sorloth as Late Striker Solution

Alexander Sorloth has been put on Manchester United’s table in the final stretch of the window, with intermediaries offering the Atletico Madrid striker as a late solution to the club’s search for a centre-forward, sources have told TEAMtalk.

United are scouring the market for another attacker before Tuesday’s deadline, and Sorloth has moved into focus as a realistic option. The Norway international is open to leaving Atletico this summer, and the idea of a Premier League return appeals to the 30-year-old after his previous spell at Crystal Palace.

United’s need is clear. Joshua Zirkzee has been allowed to join Fiorentina, leaving Michael Carrick and the recruitment team weighing up a shortlist of forwards. The plan is not just to add numbers. If a striker comes in, the club want a genuine central presence who can complement and compete with Benjamin Sesko rather than block his path.

Sorloth ticks a lot of those boxes. Since joining Atletico he has impressed with his physicality, penalty-box instincts and aerial dominance. Add in his prior Premier League experience and the profile starts to look very much like what United are trying to find. Across his career, he has racked up 175 goals in 475 games – a body of work that gives him weight in any conversation about ready-made options.

Atletico, for their part, are not closing the door. They are prepared to let Sorloth go, but only if they can secure a replacement. The Spanish side intend to keep Julian Alvarez yet still want another striker in the building, with Arsenal’s Gabriel Jesus and former Lille forward Jonathan David among the names under consideration.

The picture is complicated by Juventus. The Italian club are exploring a deal involving David, with Sorloth and Nico Gonzalez potentially included as part of an exchange. Those talks are proving difficult to untangle, which leaves room for other clubs to manoeuvre.

Into that space steps United again. TEAMtalk understands that David has also been offered to Carrick’s side, who are now weighing whether the Canada international could be another viable answer for their attack.

Sorloth is not the only name on the list. United have already held discussions with Crystal Palace over Jean-Philippe Mateta and Ismaila Sarr, though neither deal is straightforward. The club have also looked at younger, developmental profiles: Freiburg’s Igor Matanovic, Hoffenheim’s Fisnik Asllani and RB Leipzig’s Conrad Harder have all been discussed internally.

Even so, Sorloth’s situation feels different. He is experienced, available under the right conditions and keen on England. That combination makes him one to monitor closely as the clock ticks down on the window.

There is another twist. Sorloth is a close friend of Manchester City star Erling Haaland, raising the prospect of the two Norway internationals sharing a city, if not a dressing room. It would add a fascinating subplot to the Manchester rivalry if United decide he is the man to support Sesko.

For now, the message from Old Trafford is consistent: they will only move if the forward is the right fit. If that player does not emerge in the next few days, there is a genuine chance United walk away and face the season with what they already have.