Report: Cut-price forward emerges as option for Man Utd | OneFootball

Man Utd Weigh Move for Lorenzo Lucca as Summer Striker Hunt Intensifies

There is a logic to Manchester United’s renewed emphasis on recruitment that seems at once pragmatic and a little desperate. The striker situation at Old Trafford has evolved into a slow-burning concern—a cocktail of underperformance, inconsistency and, most significantly, absence of identity. Now, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe overseeing a reshaped footballing operation, a new name has surfaced.

Lorenzo Lucca, the towering Udinese forward standing at 6ft 7in, has emerged as a genuine contender on United’s transfer radar. And, according to Tutto Mercato, the Italian international’s surprisingly modest price tag of £29.3m could tilt the balance in his favour.

Photo IMAGO

Numbers Driving Decisions

It’s hardly controversial to say United need goals. Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Højlund have combined for just 14 strikes in 83 appearances—paltry figures for a club that, by default, expects its forwards to deliver in double digits with ease.

Photo IMAGO

“The pair has rustled a meagre 14 goals between them from a collective 83 appearances,” the report notes, with Højlund the better of the two, albeit still modest, on eight goals in 39 games.

Photo IMAGO

Rúben Amorim’s arrival as United manager has only heightened the urgency. The Portuguese coach favours a 3-4-2-1 system reliant on a focal point. Neither Højlund nor Zirkzee has truly fit that mould, prompting the club’s recruitment team—led by Christopher Vivell and technical director Jason Wilcox—to accelerate plans for a new No.9.

Bargain in the Shadows of Giants

Lucca’s name does not carry the immediate glamour of Osimhen or the fast-rising stock of Benjamin Šeško, but there’s a strategic appeal here. Twelve goals in 31 appearances for Udinese is not spectacular but nor is it dismissible—especially considering the physical profile and adaptability he offers.

Photo IMAGO

“Tuttomercatoweb claim United are strongly considering an offer to bring the 6ft 7in striker giant to Old Trafford,” with scouts regularly checking on his progress.

Vivell, with a reputation forged on the back of unearthing Erling Haaland and Šeško at earlier stages in their development, reportedly sees Lucca as another undervalued asset. If Vivell vouches for him, Ratcliffe may well take note.

Market Economics and Strategic Fit

Financially, Lucca’s acquisition would offer United flexibility. With West Ham and Napoli also circling, the fee becomes a compelling element in a tight budget window. At €35m, he is a fraction of the cost of United’s other targets—Osimhen and Viktor Gyökeres, both valued around the €75–80m mark, and Šeško whose price fluctuates depending on performance clauses.

Photo: IMAGO

“Tuttomercatoweb report that the Italian side have placed a €35m (£29.3m, $37.9m) price tag on the 24-year-old,” adding that he could become “a player in pretty high demand this summer.”

Lucca has also earned recent caps with the Italian national team, including appearances in this month’s Nations League ties. This not only underlines his upward trajectory but offers a level of international exposure that may appeal to United’s long-term squad planning.

Photo IMAGO

Ratcliffe’s Low-Risk Bet?

United’s decision may ultimately hinge on risk management. Is a lower fee for a less-established striker like Lucca a smarter route than breaking the bank for more proven but costlier names?

“In truth,” said one insider, “it’s about giving Amorim the tactical options he wants without financially hamstringing the wider rebuild.”

Lucca might not headline the shortlist, but he could represent the most balanced, financially viable move—a reflection of the new regime’s shift in transfer strategy.

Our View – EPL Index Analysis

For Manchester United fan’s, this report will land with mixed feelings. On the one hand, £29.3m for a physically imposing 24-year-old Italy international sounds like smart business. But let’s be honest—United have always been the club that says it’s making smart decisions, even when it isn’t.

Lucca isn’t exactly tearing Serie A apart. He’s doing well—respectably even—but not at the level where you’d confidently drop him into a United shirt and expect goals against Arsenal or Manchester City. they’ve been burned by promise before. Remember Wout Weghorst? Remember Odion Ighalo?

And this idea of trusting Vivell because he spotted Haaland and Šeško—great, but those were low-pressure environments. At United, players either fly or get buried under the weight of the badge.

It’s also worth questioning why Napoli or West Ham haven’t pulled the trigger yet. If he’s such a bargain, why is he still available?