Four Strikers Man Utd Should Target for Mauricio Pochettino

Mauricio Pochettino will reportedly be “backed” by Manchester United in the January transfer window, with a new striker very likely to be among the top of his shopping list.

It was all too much for Pochettino to bear as he bade farewell to the U.S. men’s national team, perhaps realizing what he’d signed up for.

The Argentine has ditched a rather cushty situation on the international stage in favor of a circus, yet the Manchester United job is one that has always called to Pochettino. The Red Devils have flirted with the possibility for the better part of a decade, dating back to when the 54-year-old was overseeing Tottenham Hotspur’s ascent to Premier League title contention.

His appointment as Man Utd manager in the wake of Michael Carrick’s cruelly navigated dismissal comes at a time when some believe him to be yesterday’s man. His body of work since leaving north London isn't wholly impressive, yet Red Devils supporters have a right to feel excited. Pochettino, a masterful extractor of talent, should at least allow hope to return to the Theatre of Dreams and even threaten to reverse the club's plight.

Fixes are unlikely to arrive overnight, given Pochettino’s fitness demands, but Man Utd are reportedly prepared to give their new manager the requisite backing in upcoming transfer windows to ensure the Red Devils are built in the Argentine’s image.

The Telegraph reports that a new striker is on the agenda in January, having learned the extent of Benjamin Šeško’s shin injury last month. The Slovenian international will return to action in the new year, but there's a need for a more natural alternative.

4. Eli Junior Kroupi

Eli Junior Kroupi may well have earned a big-money move away from Bournemouth in the summer had he not sustained a foot injury in preseason that required surgery.

Kroupi embarked on a record-breaking debut campaign on the south coast, scoring the most goals by a teenager in a single Premier League season. It was the Frenchman’s 13th strike that helped seal Arsenal’s first league title in 22 years.

The Gunners were subsequently interested in signing the young forward amid their failed pursuit of an X-factor attacker, but it was Tottenham Hotspur who made the most bullish approach amid their summer of ambition.

Despite his injury, interest in Kroupi is unlikely to fade anytime soon. He offered a swift reminder of his quality upon his return in October, expertly setting up Amine Adli for Bournemouth’s second goal in a 2–0 win over Leeds United.

Kroupi is a sharpshooter who defies the xG metric, but he’s also a savvy playmaker who functions efficiently between the lines. He’s more of a 9.5 than an outright No. 9, and it’ll cost a fortune to convince Bournemouth to sell in January. Moreover, alternative projects currently appear more enticing than Man Utd’s, despite the fresh face in the dugout.

This may be one the Red Devils consider next summer, assuming they avoid the drop...

3. Jean-Philippe Mateta

Clubs will forever be sucked into the ‘Premier League-proven’ trope. In their summer rebuild, for example, Spurs exclusively signed players plying their trade in the English top flight.

It’s supposed to eliminate an acclimatization period and reduce risk, but such a policy doesn’t facilitate any guarantees.

Man Utd have shopped locally as of late. Their attacking rebuild comprised Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha in 2025, and the three midfielders they signed in the summer all joined from Premier League clubs.

So don’t be surprised if INEOS continues to opt for familiarity with ‘the English game’ at the start of Pochettino’s reign. The division is home to a fair few standout center forwards, albeit the very best are unattainable.

Man Utd would be looking at the next rung down, where Jean-Philippe Mateta resides, all gleamy-eyed. Mateta is the physical profile Pochettino has historically liked in his center forward, and there’s nothing like some corner flag kicking to boost morale.

With his contract up at the end of the season, Mateta will almost certainly be available this winter. If United want to sign a Šeško alternative rather than a usurper, the 29-year-old could prove to be an astute addition in the short term.

2. Julián Alvarez

On the surface, this appears incredibly unrealistic, so hear us out.

Julián Alvarez is still struggling to win back the Atlético Madrid supporters. The Argentine pined for a move to Barcelona in the summer, calling it his “dream,” but Atléti insisted that they wouldn’t sell such a prized asset to a fierce domestic rival.

Atléti’s stance never altered, and Barça gave up, leaving Alvarez stranded. He felt the brunt of supporter discontent at the start of the new season and was forced into a groveling apology last month. The resentment is no longer so fierce, yet it feels as if nothing will ever quite be the same for Alvarez in the Spanish capital.

Given his current state, the canny and opportunistic center forward may well be tempted by a transfer that doesn’t quite fit his utopia.

Arsenal have been interested, and if Man Utd are in the market, could they pull off a move that’d undoubtedly enliven supporters? It seems unlikely, but Alvarez, similar to Kroupi, is a sharpshooting extraordinaire who thrived as Erling Haaland’s deputy across town.

He can score from anywhere, and Pochettino would love the work he gets through out of possession. However, it’d take so much for the Red Devils to convince Alvarez to return to gloomy Manchester.

1. Folarin Balogun

Man Utd supporters previously scoffed at the idea of hiring “Tottenham’s manager,” and plenty will undoubtedly lament the potential signing of a striker on the cusp of joining Everton in the summer.

But Man Utd could do a whole lot worse than signing Folarin Balogun for Pochettino. The former Arsenal striker was one of the big winners of Pochettino’s USMNT reign, and Balogun was sad to see the Argentine go.

The striker credited Man Utd’s new manager for instilling a “clear sense of identity” and “playing style.” Pochettino worked closely with Balogun, who distinctly improved under his watch and was ready to depart Monaco after an impressive World Cup.

Balogun has just one outstanding goalscoring campaign to his name in Europe’s top-five leagues (21 goals for Reims in 2022–23), but a spotty goalscoring record shouldn’t detract from how he contributes elsewhere. He’s a dynamic and selfless focal point who runs the channels doggedly and brings others into play.

At 25, Balogun is entering the prime of his career, and Pochettino’s previous work with him suggests this could be a good fit. It certainly seems realistic if nothing else.

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