Manchester United focus on Serhou Guirassy after Sunderland hold on to Brian Brobbey

Manchester United have shifted their attention to Borussia Dortmund striker Serhou Guirassy after Sunderland indicated they will not allow Brian Brobbey to leave, according to industry sources familiar with the matter. United had considered the Dutch forward among available centre-forwards able to adapt to the physical demands of English football, but Sunderland’s position has prompted the club’s recruitment leaders to reassess their immediate targets.

Brobbey has scored three goals in his first five Premier League appearances. United are now focusing on established European goalscorers, with Guirassy, 30, among the options under consideration.

United have invested heavily in younger forwards in recent transfer windows. Rasmus Højlund joined from Atalanta in August 2023 for an initial £64 million plus £8 million in add-ons; Dutch forward Joshua Zirkzee arrived from Bologna in July 2024 for €42.5 million (£36.5 million).

Zirkzee primarily links play by dropping into half-spaces, while United’s executive team has sought a penalty-box focal point to supplement Højlund. The club has also tracked RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Šeško and Wolverhampton Wanderers attacker Matheus Cunha. Šeško extended his Leipzig contract through June 2029 before Euro 2024 and remains under long-term observation, though concerns about his physical availability have affected near-term planning. Cunha has primarily been deployed by Wolverhampton in secondary attacking or wide roles rather than as an orthodox No. 9.

Guirassy joined Dortmund after scoring 30 goals in 30 appearances for VfB Stuttgart in a breakthrough 2023–24 campaign. His contract contained a €17.5 million ($19 million) release clause, which he triggered. The Guinea international has since recorded 34 goals in 45 appearances across all competitions in 2024–25 and 22 goals in 48 matches in 2025–26.

Dortmund’s management has stressed Guirassy’s importance to the club’s sporting stability. Former head coach Niko Kovac praised his ability to score under pressure during his tenure.

“I’ve used the term ‘life insurance’ several times myself,” Kovac said. “Serhou is a very important player for us. Someone who scores goals – even in impossible situations. He was under pressure for the first goal, was saved, and yet he still scored. Top striker! Bayern has Kane, City has Haaland and we have Guirassy.”

French-born Guirassy previously played in Ligue 1 for Lille, Amiens and Rennes, and had an earlier Bundesliga spell with 1. FC Köln.

United’s transfer operations are directed by sporting director Dan Ashworth and technical director Jason Wilcox, under the executive oversight of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS group. Improving the team’s goal production has remained a primary operational mandate: United scored 57 Premier League goals in 2023–24, finishing with a minus-one goal difference and the lowest scoring output among the top-six Premier League finishers that season.