Manchester United can still secure their dream transfer for free

With Liam Delap making the decision to swap Portman Road for Stamford Bridge, it remains to be seen who Manchester United will turn to in their search for a striker.

United have prioritised the addition of a No.9 this summer after ending a second successive Premier League campaign with a negative goal difference, but after missing out on Delap, who was originally their top target, they are yet to settle on a preferred alternative.

Delap was attainable via a £30million release clause this summer, meaning a deal would have been relatively straightforward to have completed had he favoured a return to Manchester and a move to Old Trafford.

Instead, his decision to join Chelsea has forced United to explore alternative avenues, and they are yet to have found the answer they are looking for.

It is no secret the likes of Sporting Lisbon striker Viktor Gyokeres, Napoli ace Victor Osimhen and Hugo Ekitike of Eintracht Frankfurt are continuing to be linked with moves to M16, but each of them would command a hefty-sized transfer fee.

Having signed Matheus Cunha for £62.5m and Brentford star Bryan Mbeumo looking as though he could command a similar fee, United's focus will soon have to turn to outgoings to fund further additions. They do not have unlimited funds available to them this summer.

As a result of failing to qualify for next season's Champions League, United must box clever with their recruitment this summer. They cannot - and will not - get into the habit of spending recklessly like they have in recent years.

With that unwanted reputation and the profit and sustainability rules [PSR] to be mindful of, United may have to be a little bit shrewd in some of their recruitment decisions.

With their striker search yet to lead