Manchester United Eye Alexander Sorloth as Late Transfer Option
Alexander Sorloth has been put on Manchester United’s table as a late-window option, with intermediaries offering the Atletico Madrid striker to the club as they push to bring in another centre-forward before Tuesday’s deadline, sources have told TEAMtalk.
United’s recruitment team have been working through a growing shortlist since Joshua Zirkzee was allowed to join Fiorentina, and Sorloth has now moved into the conversation as a serious candidate rather than a passing mention.
The 30-year-old Norway international is ready to leave Atletico this summer if the right move appears. A return to the Premier League appeals to him; he knows the league from his spell at Crystal Palace and would welcome another crack at English football.
United want more than just another squad body. The plan is clear: find a genuine central striker who can offer a different profile to Benjamin Sesko and carry the load through the middle when required. Sorloth ticks those boxes. He is tall, powerful, dominant in the air and has enough top-level experience to step straight into a demanding environment.
Since joining Atletico, Sorloth has impressed with his physical presence and penalty-box instincts. Across his career he has racked up 175 goals in 475 games, numbers that inevitably draw attention for a club still reshaping its attack.
Atletico, though, will not simply wave him through the door. The Spanish side are open to a sale, but only if they can secure a replacement. Their intention is to keep Julian Alvarez, yet they still want another striker in the building. Arsenal’s Gabriel Jesus and former Lille forward Jonathan David are among the names under consideration.
Juventus are also in that mix. They are exploring a complex potential deal involving David, with Sorloth and Nico Gonzalez floated as possible pieces in an exchange. Those talks are proving difficult to untangle, which keeps the door ajar for other clubs.
United, for their part, have also been offered David and are weighing up whether the Canada international fits what they need in terms of style and role, not just reputation.
Sorloth is not the only name on their list. As previously reported, United have held discussions with Crystal Palace over Jean-Philippe Mateta and Ismaila Sarr, though neither pursuit is straightforward given the financial and structural complications around both players.
Younger forwards have been debated too. TEAMtalk understands Freiburg’s Igor Matanovic, Hoffenheim’s Fisnik Asllani and RB Leipzig’s Conrad Harder have all been looked at as potential long-term projects rather than immediate starters.
Into that mix comes Sorloth: older, more battle-hardened, and crucially, keen on a return to England. That combination could turn him into one of the more realistic late-window options if the dominoes fall in his favour.
There is also the sub-plot. Sorloth is a close friend of Manchester City star Erling Haaland. The idea of the two Norwegians sharing a city – but split by a fierce rivalry – adds an extra twist to an already intriguing possibility.
For United, though, sentiment will not drive the decision. The priority remains unchanged: sign a forward who properly complements Sesko’s skill set, or walk away and keep their powder dry. If the right profile does not emerge in the next few days, there is every chance they end this window without a new striker at all.
