Scholes tells Man Utd to sign ‘brilliant’ striker who’ll ‘guarantee goals’; dream Ratcliffe target snubs rival offer

Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has recommended the signing of an elite striker who can ‘guarantee goals’, while a top target for Sir Jim Ratcliffe has rejected a contract offer from another Premier League club.

Man Utd spent an initial £64million to sign make Rasmus Hojlund their new centre-forward last summer, and the deal had the potential to rise to £72m through add-ons. Hojlund struggled at times but did well overall considering the fact he is only 21 years old and Man Utd put their faith in him to lead the forward line.

Hojlund ended the campaign with 16 goals in 43 matches, though Ratcliffe swiftly decided that Man Utd needed to land another striker to help the Denmark international out.

Man Utd subsequently brought in Dutch hitman Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna in a £36m transfer.

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Zirkzee is a quality performer who will certainly add class to the Man Utd squad, though he is only 23 years old himself and therefore not much more experienced than Hojlund.

As such, Man Utd have been tipped to re-enter the market for a proven Premier League marksman, such as Ivan Toney or Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Scholes, who made 713 appearances for Man Utd and helped the club win a host of trophies including 11 Premier League titles, has now weighed in on their transfer hunt.

The pundit wants another ‘brilliant’ striker to arrive at Old Trafford, though he did not name his favoured option.

Man Utd latest: Scholes wants signing of ‘brilliant’ striker

“When I think about Manchester United, I think about brilliant centre-forwards,” he said during a recent TV appearance.

“I think they’ve had one young one last year in Rasmus Hojlund who they have had to rely on and it was a little bit unfair. He’s a young player, still learning the game.

“They’ve bought another young one [Zirkzee]… I would like to see an experienced centre-forward come and help with that and virtually guarantee goals.

“Whether that man is out there, I don’t know. But I think they need somebody who is proven and somebody who is proven and go on and be successful next year.”

Toney appears to be a very good solution. Prior to his betting ban, the Brentford star was one of the most feared attackers in the Prem, having netted 20 goals in 33 league games during the 2022-23 season.

Toney’s reputation improved once again at the Euros as he made an impact for England despite getting limited game time, and Ratcliffe is now considering a £40m swoop for him.

Encouraging Branthwaite update for Ratcliffe

Another Prem star Ratcliffe would love to sign is Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite. Man Utd have had two bids rejected for the centre-half as Everton do not want to sell for less than £70m.

The Toffees are hoping to tie Branthwaite down to fresh terms in order to end the transfer links for at least a year. But according to the Daily Mail, the player ‘has no intention’ of penning a new contract at Goodison Park unless a key demand is matched.

Branthwaite wants Everton to offer him the same £160,000-a-week package that Man Utd proposed to him, something which looks unlikely amid the Toffees’ financial problems.

As such, the 22-year-old could hold out and see if Everton lower their asking price for him later in the transfer window, as he is keen on taking the next step in his career and joining Man Utd this summer.

Bayern Munich’s Matthijs de Ligt is an alternative to Branthwaite for Man Utd. TEAMtalk understands that Ratcliffe and his team remain locked in talks with Bayern for De Ligt, though it is currently unclear whether Erik ten Hag will get to reunite with his former Ajax defender.

Man Utd will need to sell three players before they can sign both De Ligt and Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Manuel Ugarte. Plus, Bayern are still demanding £42m for De Ligt, a fee Man Utd do not intend to pay.

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