Manchester United Targets Alexander Sorloth as Striker Option

Alexander Sorloth has been put on Manchester United’s table as a late option up front, with intermediaries offering the Atletico Madrid striker to the club as the transfer window ticks towards Tuesday’s deadline, sources have told TEAMtalk.

United are scouring the market for another centre-forward after allowing Joshua Zirkzee to join Fiorentina, leaving Michael Carrick and the recruitment team weighing up a series of possibilities in the final days of the window.

Sorloth, a close friend and Norway team-mate of Manchester City star Erling Haaland, has emerged as one of the more concrete options. The 30-year-old is open to leaving Atletico this summer and would welcome a return to the Premier League, where he previously had a spell with Crystal Palace.

A genuine No.9 alternative to Sesko

Inside Old Trafford, the brief is clear: if United bring in a striker, it must be a genuine central option, not just another name to pad out the squad. The club want someone who can complement and provide an alternative to Benjamin Sesko. Sorloth fits that brief.

Since moving to Atletico, the Norwegian has impressed with his physical presence, aerial power and penalty-box instincts. Combined with his prior Premier League experience, those traits make him an attractive, ready-made option for Carrick’s side.

Atletico are prepared to sanction Sorloth’s exit, but only on their terms. The Spanish club will let him go if – and only if – they secure a suitable replacement. Sorloth’s record of 175 goals in 475 senior appearances underlines why they will not allow him to leave without a plan.

Atletico’s striker puzzle and the David factor

Atletico intend to keep Julian Alvarez, but they still want another forward through the door. Arsenal’s Gabriel Jesus and former Lille striker Jonathan David are among the names under consideration as they redraw their attacking options.

Juventus are also working on a possible move involving David, with Sorloth and Nico Gonzalez floated as potential pieces in a complex exchange. Those talks are becoming increasingly tangled, adding another layer of uncertainty to Sorloth’s situation.

There is another twist. TEAMtalk can confirm that David has also been offered to Manchester United, who are now assessing whether the Canada international could be a different kind of solution in attack.

Mateta, Sarr, Matanovic on United’s radar

Sorloth is not the only name in United’s late-window striker dossier. As previously revealed, the club have held talks with Crystal Palace over Jean-Philippe Mateta and Ismaila Sarr, though both deals are described as complicated at this stage.

United have also explored younger, developmental options. Freiburg’s Igor Matanovic, Hoffenheim’s Fisnik Asllani and RB Leipzig’s Conrad Harder have all been discussed internally as potential long-term projects rather than instant starters.

For now, Sorloth stands out as an experienced, physically dominant option who is keen on a return to England. That openness, combined with United’s need for a reliable No.9 profile, makes this one to monitor closely as the clock runs down.

And if Sorloth does land at Old Trafford, the sight of Haaland leading the line in sky blue and his close friend in red across the city would add a fascinating new wrinkle to Manchester’s striking rivalry this season.