Man United have a glorious chance to replace Joshua Zirkzee with Karl Etta Eyong | OneFootball

Despite spending big on a striker last summer, there is talk of Manchester United signing another one this summer.

Joshua Zirkzee, who has not fully established himself at Old Trafford, is tipped to leave, with Serie A sides eager to land his services.

Should the Dutch striker finally leave, INEOS would have little choice but to find his replacement. One suggestion is that the 20-time English champions could move for an experienced striker, with Robert Lewandowski and Danny Welbeck both linked.

The idea is that alongside these strikers, Benjamin Sesko would not only share the striking workload but also benefit from their mentorship. While that route makes perfect sense, it would be wise for United to remain open to unmissable transfer opportunities such as the one Karl Etta Eyong is presenting them.

In the first half of the season, United were heavily linked with the Levante striker. At the time, it was a straight race between United and Barcelona to land the clinical, physically robust, and tactically versatile 22-year-old.

Barcelona, however, appear to have since dropped out of the race, and there was subsequently talk of CSKA Moscow attempting to sign him last January. While Levante accepted the Russian side’s offer and were ready to strike a deal, Eyong rejected the move.

That decision cost him his place in the team. He barely featured in the second half of the season, mostly used from the bench, a situation that held him back considerably, with just one league goal to his name since the turn of the year.

Eyong pushing hard for Premier League switch

Eyong cannot continue at Levante, and with what Ben Jacobs is reporting, it appears he will not:

“Etta Eyong is now prioritising a move to England. Two Premier League clubs have made approaches to Levante.

“There is also active interest from Turkey.

“Levante want €30m+ for Eyong and accepted an offer from CSKA in January. Eyong did not want to join.”

That update presents an interesting transfer opportunity that United cannot afford to ignore. In fact, hopefully, they are one of the two English sides pursuing him.

Eyong the perfect Zirkzee upgrade

Eyong is a fine natural striker who looks built for the Premier League. An explosive, instinctual forward who relies on rapid acceleration to get in behind defensive lines, combined with lethal finishing and smart movement inside the penalty box, he could prove a real handful for Premier League defenders.

It is also easy to attribute his struggles in the second half of the season to the difficult position he found himself in after snubbing a winter exit.

United should take a chance on him. He could be the perfect rotation option alongside Sesko, and be everything Zirkzee should have been in a United shirt.

A Zirkzee Serie A switch could realistically fetch INEOS upwards of £24 million. That money could then be channelled straight into signing Eyong, and together with Sesko, INEOS would have secured United’s attack for years to come.

Featured image Pedro Salado via Getty Images

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