Manchester United have reportedly identified Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta as a possible alternative to top target Viktor Gyokeres of Sporting Lisbon.
The Red Devils have been tipped to recruit a reliable goalscorer in the summer transfer window as both Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee have failed to reach the heights expected since moving to Old Trafford.
Hojlund has scored just two goals in 24 Premier League appearances this term and is currently enduring an 18-game goal drought across all competitions; not since netting a brace in a Europa League win at Viktoria Plzen on December 12 has the Dane found the net.
Zirkzee, meanwhile, has scored only five goals in 40 appearances in all tournaments since completing a £42m transfer to Man United from Bologna last summer.
Ruben Amorim admitted after Man United's FA Cup fifth-round exit to Fulham that his team is suffering from a goalscoring problem, and The Sun reports that the addition of a new striker has now become a priority.
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Man Utd identify Mateta as Gyokeres alternative?
Man United's top striker target is said to be Sporting star Gyokeres, who Amorim knows well and has excelled since moving to Portugal in 2023, scoring 80 goals and providing 24 assists in 89 matches.
The Sweden international has found the net 37 times in 39 appearances in all competitions so far this season, scoring 25 goals in just 23 Primeira Liga games, and a reunion with Amorim at Man United has regularly been mooted.
Gyokeres is said to be open to working with Amorim again, but The Sun claims that the 26-year-old is pushing for a move to a Champions League club, which would seemingly make a switch to Man United a non-starter.
The Red Devils are languishing in 14th place in the Premier League table, 14 points behind the top four with 11 games remaining, and their best chance of securing Champions League football for next season is if they go all the way to win the Europa League this term.
Man United have subsequently 'cast their net wider' in their pursuit of a new striker and one player that they are now monitoring is Palace star Mateta.
It is claimed that the Red Devils could make a shock summer swoop for the 27-year-old and have watched his last three Premier League performances in a Palace shirt, with two goals scored in wins over Everton and Aston Villa in that time.
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Could Mateta swap Palace for Man Utd this summer?
Man United scouts are also said to have been in attendance when Mateta sustained a serious head and ear injury following a terribly high challenge from Millwall goalkeeper Liam Roberts in a 3-1 FA Cup fifth-round win for Palace at Selhurst Park last weekend.
Mateta has been in magnificent form in front of goal for the Eagles this season, scoring 15 times in 33 appearances across all competitions, including eight strikes in his last eight Premier League games.
The Frenchman was named the club's Player of the Season in 2023-24 after scoring 19 goals in 39 games, including 14 strikes in his final 16 Premier League outings to fire Palace into the top 10.
In December last year, Palace triggered a one-year option in Mateta's contract to extend his stay at the club until June 2027, but Oliver Glasner's side are now believed to be keen to reward the striker with fresh terms in a bid to fend off interest in his services.
As well as Man United, the likes of Lyon - owned by Palace's largest shareholder John Textor - Barcelona, Chelsea, Newcastle United and Atletico Madrid have all been credited with an interest in Mateta.
Palace are thought to value Mateta at around £50m and the chance to swap Selhurst Park for Old Trafford may appeal to the striker if the opportunity arrives.
Oliver Thomas
