Manchester United's Late Transfer Opportunity: Alexander Sorloth
Manchester United have been handed a late-window opportunity that could reshape their forward line – and it comes in the form of a familiar Premier League nearly-man.
Alexander Sorloth, now of Atletico Madrid, has been offered to United by intermediaries as the club scramble for a new centre-forward before Tuesday’s transfer deadline.
United’s striker plan ripped up
The plan was simple enough. Carlos Baleba arrived from Brighton in a £70million deal to bolster midfield, and the next step was to add a backup No 9 and a left-back. Michael Carrick wants cover and competition for Benjamin Sesko up front and someone to push Luke Shaw at left-back.
Then Joshua Zirkzee’s situation changed.
Zirkzee has given the green light to a return to Italy with Fiorentina. The Serie A club have gone as far as sending United a loan proposal that includes an option to buy next summer, underlining how quickly the Dutchman’s Old Trafford future has shifted.
Lose Zirkzee and the squad suddenly looks thin at centre-forward. United know it.
Sorloth on the table
Into that gap steps Sorloth, a 6ft 5in specialist No 9 with a heavyweight scoring record: 175 goals in 475 senior appearances. Sources indicate intermediaries have put his name directly to United, presenting him as a ready-made option who fits the profile Carrick and the recruitment team have been working from.
He would not arrive as a project. He would arrive to compete with Sesko immediately.
The Norway international is open to leaving Atletico and would consider a return to England. His last spell in the Premier League, with Crystal Palace between January 2018 and September 2020, never really ignited. Just 20 appearances, broken up by loans to Gent and Trabzonspor, left the sense of an unfinished story.
Old Trafford would offer a very different stage – and a second shot at English football at the sharp end of the division.
Atletico’s stance and the wider market
Atletico will sell, but only on their terms. Sorloth’s contract runs until June 2028, so there is no pressure to cash in quickly. The Spanish side want a replacement lined up before they sanction any exit, and they have already begun to look around.
Gabriel Jesus of Arsenal and Juventus forward Jonathan David are both under consideration as potential successors, a sign of the level at which Diego Simeone intends to keep his attack operating.
The exact fee Atletico would demand for Sorloth remains unclear, but any deal will have to reflect both his contract length and his current status in their squad.
While Sorloth’s future is debated, another Atletico forward is dominating the headlines. Barcelona and Arsenal are still pushing for Julian Alvarez, yet the Rojiblancos insist he is going nowhere. Alvarez has publicly confirmed his desire to leave, a stance that has infuriated large sections of the Atletico fanbase and added more tension to an already restless window in Madrid.
United weighing their move
Back in Manchester, the discussion is not just about names, but about structure. On the Talk of the Devils podcast, Laurie Whitwell underlined the likely shape of United’s late business.
“Loan is what I have heard in terms of incoming,” he said, pointing towards a cautious approach to permanent fees in the final days.
Andy Mitten echoed the sense that activity is coming, even if the form it takes is still up in the air.
“Will we see new players come in? I think it’s increasing, I think it’s a possibility. I don’t know if the player would be signed or loaned. If you lose a striker, United look light up top.”
United have already sounded out Freiburg’s Igor Matanovic and Crystal Palace’s wantaway forward Jean-Philippe Mateta as possible replacements for Zirkzee. Now Sorloth sits in that same bracket: a powerful, penalty-box presence who can occupy centre-backs and give Sesko genuine competition.
The choice is stark and immediate. Stick with what they have and gamble on fitness and form, or move decisively for a striker who knows the demands of European football and is ready to step into the Premier League spotlight again.
For Sorloth, it is the chance to rewrite his English chapter. For United, it could be the difference between scraping through the season light up front and attacking it with real weight.
