Manchester United had Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting on their transfer shortlist in January but the former Bayern Munich forward is now without a club. Choupo-Moting departed the German club at the end of his contract this summer.
The 35-year-old was considered as a short-term option when United needed attacking depth during the January transfer window. Erik ten Hag spent large parts of last season without a recognised centre-forward, with Rasmus Hojlund struggling with injuries during his debut campaign.
Chou-Moting would have played a similar role to the one Wout Weghorst occupied at Old Trafford the season before. Ten Hag needed an experienced forward able to take the scoring burden away from Hojlund.
The then-Bayern star might have done that better than Weghorst did. Choupo-Moting has been one of Europe’s most reliable back-up strikers in Europe over the past couple of seasons.
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Last term, he struck three times in a little over 900 minutes at Bayern despite Harry Kane’s presence. The year before, he scored 17 goals across all competitions despite battling for game time with Sadio Mane.
Choupo-Moting has been linked with Barcelona and Inter Milan but no deal has yet materialised. There has been little talk of a return to the Premier League, in which he scored five times for Stoke during an underwhelming 12 months that ended in relegation for the Potters.
United were always unlikely to sign Choupo-Moting this summer. He would merely have been a short-term option, potentially even a loanee, to cover for Hojlund’s fitness struggles and to rid the scoring burden from the young Dane.
The addition of Joshua Zirkzee at Old Trafford has provided Ten Hag with more firepower. The Dutch forward scored a dramatic late winner on his debut, sealing a 1-0 victory over Fulham and endearing himself to his new fans.
“I saw the replay, it didn’t look too bad,” Zirkzee said afterwards. “A great feeling, a great feeling, it couldn’t be any better. What can I say? Debut, winning, scoring in front of the Stretford End, so yeah, it’s unbelievable.”
Meanwhile, Hojlund is set to spend at least three more weeks on the sidelines with a hamstring injury. The 21-year-old suffered the problem during a pre-season defeat against Arsenal.
United could still enter the transfer market with Manuel Ugarte linked. The defensive midfielder is wanted in a deal from Paris Saint-Germain.
