The eight strikers on Arsenal, Chelsea and Man Utd's radars this summer (2024)

It is the most coveted of positions, with glory and acclaim just one kick of the ball away, but right now demand is exceeding supply. There just aren’t enough world-class strikers to placate every club searching for one.

Erling Haaland and Harry Kane are going nowhere, Kylian Mbappe is off to Real Madrid, and that leaves just two more centre-forwards Transfermarket value above €100m (£85m): Lautaro Martinez and Victor Osimhen.

From there, the drop-off is significant, with Darwin Nunez and Gabriel Jesus next on this 15-strong list that are deemed to be worth £50m or more, with Rasmus Hojlund featuring as well.

This, of course, does not take into account the inflated prices certain clubs may be asking for this summer, so where do those desiring a new No 9 turn to? Is there any value to be found or must £100m be spent?

Here are eight striker targets for Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United this summer, each player’s most likely destination, as well as their market value compared to what their clubs could demand.

Victor Osimhen

Market value: £94m | Asking price: £111m

A classic of the gossip column genre, Victor Osimhen has been linked with a transfer away from Napoli for years, with rumours accelerating after his 26-goal tally in 2022-23 delivered a first Serie A title to Naples for 33 years.

Osimhen went on to sign a new contract with Napoli in December 2023, running until 2026, although that was largely viewed as an opportunity to up the African Footballer of the Year’s release clause.

With €130m (£111m) the number to hit, Napoli are unlikely to accept anything less, meaning both Arsenal and Chelsea would have to break the £100m barrier again. A tall order, and one that would require both clubs to raise funds first. They may be powerless up against Paris Saint-Germain, who are favourites to fill their Mbappe-shaped hole by signing the Nigerian.

Most likely destination: PSG

Alexander Isak

Market value: £60m | Asking price: £80m+

When Alexander Isak opens up his body and curls a right-footed effort into the far corner, it is easy to see why Arsenal fans would take a shining to the Newcastle striker.

Emmanuel Adebayor, Robin van Persie, Alexis Sanchez and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have all broken the 20-plus barrier for Premier League goals in a season since the Thierry Henry days, but only Aubameyang achieved that more that once with the Gunners.

Arsenal need someone who will do that going forward, and Isak fits the bill. The main issue, though, is that Newcastle are unlikely to listen to any offers this summer, as i reported this week. It would take some fee to lure them into talks.

Most likely destination: Arsenal

Evan Ferguson

Market value: £51m | Asking price: £120m

Dubbed a future £100m striker, Evan Ferguson’s six Premier League goals this season all arrived by November, making for a difficult run of form before an ankle injury has ruled him for the remainder of the campaign in early April.

“This is football, and for young players it can happen. They can play one season great and the next season not so good,” said the now former Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi of Ferguson, who may need to stay with the Seagulls in order to become the club’s next mega-sale north of £100m.

That said, Premier League rivals could yet be tempted to make a bid for the 19-year-old this summer, and as a boyhood United fan, Manchester has inevitably been talked up as an eventual destination.

Most likely destination: Man Utd

Lois Openda

Market value: £51m | Asking price: £85m

Identified as a target for Chelsea when i spoke to Analytics FC data expert Alex Stewart, Lois Openda is a “rapid, predatory goal-getter” that could boost the Blues and whoever their new manager is next season.

Openda scored 28 goals in 45 appearances for RB Leipzig this season, and with the Champions League awaiting once more – a competition he scored in four times this term – he could take some convincing to swap that for the Europa League or Europa Conference League.

Most likely destination: Chelsea

Marcus Thuram

Market value: £51m | Asking price: £81m

PSG (still including Mbappe) and Inter Milan are the only two clubs to boast more than one player in Transfermarkt’s top 20 centre-forwards based on market value.

And with Inter reclaiming the Serie A title at a canter – they are 19 points clear of second-placed AC Milan heading into the final weekend – they will be unwilling to sell star duo Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram.

Nevertheless, with Martinez the standout as the Serie A top scorer this season on 24, and also Inter’s captain, the club are more likely to consider selling Thuram, who was reportedly close to joining Manchester United last summer.

Most likely destination: Man Utd

Viktor Gyokeres

Market value: £47m | Asking price: £85m

It was reported Viktor Gyokeres’ agent, Hasan Cetinkaya, was in Lisbon for talks with Sporting over the striker’s future in April.

Both Arsenal and Chelsea have been linked with the former Coventry City striker, who only swapped the Midlands for Portugal last summer.

The 25-year-old went on score 29 league goals in 33 games as Sporting won the league under Rubem Amorim, and Cetinkaya has already suggested the Premier League is calling.

"I won't speculate about names of clubs but I can say that there is a big possibility that they will be Premier League clubs, because of course, they are the ones who have financial conditions to sign Viktor at the moment,” Cetinkaya told Portuguese newspaper Record.

Most likely destination: Arsenal

Jonathan David

Market value: £43m | Asking price: £43m

A rare case of market value potentially matching asking price, given Jonathan David has just 12 months remaining on his current contract at Lille.

That will put Premier League clubs on alert, with Arsenal reportedly registering their interest last summer, but a move to Napoli is said to be close – one that raises the prospect of Osimhen leaving.

David has scored 26 goals in the 47 games this season, including 19 in Ligue 1.

Most likely destination: Arsenal

Ivan Toney

Market value: £43m | Asking price: £50m

What now for Ivan Toney? The striker was already talking up a transfer away from Brentford before his return from an eight-month ban, stating his desire to play for a “top club competing for trophies”.

He did not force through a January move, or throw his toys out of the pram, but he did not exactly kick on after scoring four league goals in his first five league games back.

A run of 12 league games without a goal followed, and though he still made England’s provisional Euros squad, he has not justified the asking price that Brentford boss Thomas Frank had suggested was at “£100m plus”.

That was the inflated January price, and with a contract running out next season, it looks like now or never for Brentford to cash in. That could spark a frenzy, therefore, and the Bees’ best hope would be a bidding war – likely to include Arsenal and Chelsea – that goes north of £50m.

Most likely destination: Arsenal