(Credit: Imago)

Chris Smith

Tue 8 July 2025 15:22, UK

Manchester United’s search for a new striker might be about to hit desperation stakes with the news they’ve been offered Jamie Vardy as a free agent.

The Red Devils’ centre-forward line-up performed dreadfully last season, with Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund scoring just seven Premier League goals combined.

Now, the latter – who joined from Atalanta in 2023 for a fee worth up to £72million – looks set to return to Italy, with Napoli just one of the clubs thought to be interested in his signing.

Man United ready to sell Hojlund

Although United are guaranteed to lose money on Hojlund, they could still generate a significant fee for the Danish striker.

However, the Red Deviles have already spent big to bring Matheus Cunha from Wolves, while they’re still pursuing the expensive acquisition of Brentford star forward Bryan Mbeumo.

Even if the Cameroon international is brought aboard, Ruben Amorim still needs better options through the middle.

In fact, that would be the case regardless of if Hojlund stays or goes, but the Man United board may be reluctant to free up much more cash after the Cunha and Hojlund signings – made against the backdrop of huge outlays on flops like Hojlund and Zirkzee in recent years, not to mention Antony, Jadon Sancho, Mason Mount and more.

That could leave United scratching around for more budget-friendly options, and this is where Vardy might come in.

Jamie Vardy to Man United: Desperation or an upgrade?

United fans would surely prefer their club to sign somebody of Victor Osimhen’s stature.

But according to The Athletic (July 8), Vardy is one of several free agents Man United have been offered this summer, alongside the likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Callum Wilson.

Most players – and especially free agents – are offered to a huge number of clubs every summer. However, the bigger shock is that United could consider moving for the 38-year-old later in the transfer window if they don’t secure a younger target.

But perhaps most damning of all is that this desperate gambit would actually prove an upgrade on Amorim’s current number nine options, with veteran Vardy coming off a season where he netted nine Premier League goals and 10 overall for a Leicester side comfortably relegated.

That’s more than Hojlund, Zirkzee, Mount and Antony managed in their 4,166 combined Premier League minutes last season (per WhoScored).

Desperation or an upgrade? In this case, it seems both statements are true.