Manchester United Eye Alexander Sorloth as Late Transfer Option

Manchester United have been handed an intriguing late-window option up front, with Atletico Madrid striker Alexander Sorloth offered to the club as they scramble to reshape their attack before Tuesday’s deadline.

United have already dropped big money on Carlos Baleba, landing the midfielder from Brighton for £70million, but the work is far from done. Michael Carrick still wants a centre-forward and a left-back through the door, with time rapidly running out.

The need up front is clear. Joshua Zirkzee is on his way out, and United require a backup No 9 who can push Benjamin Sesko while covering him across a long season.

Zirkzee edges towards Fiorentina exit

Zirkzee has, according to Italian reporter Gianluca Di Marzio, given the green light to a return to Serie A with Fiorentina. The Italian side have gone further than just talks: they’ve sent United a loan proposal that includes an option to buy next summer.

With that move developing, United have already started scanning the market. Freiburg’s Igor Matanovic has been checked out, while Crystal Palace forward Jean-Philippe Mateta – keen to move on – has also been identified as a possible replacement.

Sorloth put on the table

As reported by TEAMtalk, intermediaries have presented Alexander Sorloth as a genuine option. The towering 6ft 5in Norway international has been ‘offered’ to United as Atletico weigh up their own attacking reshuffle.

Sorloth brings a serious track record: 175 goals in 475 senior appearances. He is a pure No 9, a penalty-box focal point who, on paper, fits the profile United are targeting to compete with Sesko and give Carrick a different kind of threat.

Crucially, Sorloth is understood to be open to leaving Atletico and would consider a return to the Premier League. He knows English football, at least from the fringes, after his spell at Crystal Palace between January 2018 and September 2020.

That stint never really caught fire. He made only 20 appearances for Palace, spending time out on loan at Gent and Trabzonspor. A move to Old Trafford would offer a very different stage – and a chance to finally show what he can do in England at the sharp end of the division.

Atletico’s stance and striker dominoes

Atletico are prepared to sanction Sorloth’s exit for the right price. His contract runs until June 2028, so they are under no pressure to sell, and they want a replacement lined up before signing off on any deal.

They are looking high up the food chain. Moves for Arsenal’s Gabriel Jesus and Juventus forward Jonathan David are under consideration as Diego Simeone tries to reshape his forward line.

The situation around Sorloth unfolds against a wider storm at Atletico. Barcelona and Arsenal are both pursuing his team-mate Julian Alvarez, but the Rojiblancos insist the forward is not for sale. Alvarez has publicly pushed for a transfer, a stance that has gone down badly with sections of the Atletico support.

United weighing loan vs permanent move

Back in Manchester, the question is not just who United sign, but how they structure any deal. On the Talk of the Devils podcast, Laurie Whitwell underlined that the club are leaning towards short-term flexibility.

“Loan is what I have heard in terms of incoming,” Whitwell said, hinting that United may prefer temporary solutions at this stage of the window.

Andy Mitten echoed the sense that movement is coming.

“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.”

That is the crux of it. With Zirkzee heading for the exit and the season stretching out ahead, United cannot afford to go into the autumn one injury away from a full-blown striker crisis. Whether it’s Sorloth on a permanent deal, a short-term loan from elsewhere, or a left-field option still to emerge, the next 72 hours will say a lot about how bold this new regime really is.