Man Utd draw up four-man striker wish list for January with Viktor Gyokeres put on hold

Manchester United are considering their options for the January transfer window after deciding that signing a striker is a priority.

United have scored just 13 goals in 12 Premier League games so far this season – the fourth worst result in the division. They finished last season with 57 goals and a goal difference of -1 and strikers Marcus Rashford, Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee struggled for consistency.

The new hierarchy hired Ruben Amorim in the hope that the Portuguese boss could get the most out of the expensively assembled but underperforming squad. Erik ten Hag was handed £600million in transfers during his two-and-a-half year reign as manager, but Amorim has been told to expect much more modest financial support.

However, United's struggles in front of goal have forced the club to look ahead to January, when they could be tempted to deploy more firepower. Since Amorim joined the club, United have been linked with a move for Sporting superstar Viktor Gyokeres, but his price tag makes a mid-season move unviable.

Instead, Sky Germany report that they are considering four other alternatives in case the form of their current attackers does not improve. Victor Osimhen, who is on loan from Napoli to Galatasaray, is one of the names on the list and has scored eight goals in ten games this season. After being priced out of a permanent move last summer, he has a £63m release clause until 2025.

Omar Marmoush has caught their attention by scoring 11 goals in as many games for Eintracht Frankfurt. The Egypt international could cost around £50m after developing a purple patch.

Other options include Randal Kolo Muani from Paris Saint-Germain and Victor Boniface from Bayer Leverkusen. Kolo Muani has struggled to get into the PSG squad this season and could reportedly be loaned out, just a year after joining the French giants for £77m.

Boniface has scored eight goals in 15 games for Leverkusen this season and could prove pricey. That is a problem for United, who are under pressure to comply with PSR rules after posting a pre-tax loss of £312.9 million over the past three seasons.

Amorim has already admitted he has no chance of luring Gyokeres to United mid-season. “I'm not going to sign any players from Sporting in January,” he admitted. “Gyokeres costs a hundred million euros and it is very difficult.”

During an earlier press conference while still at Sporting, Amorim added: “This is my city, this is my country, so I will respect it. Viktor has to stay until the end of the season and then his life will probably go somewhere else.”

Gyokeres has already responded to rumors that he could follow his manager to Old Trafford. He said: “Are you going to Man United with Amorim? I don't know, I'm here. I really enjoy being here, it's not something I think about. I like it here. I'm sad he's leaving. We wish him all the best.”