In today's football world, top-class center forwards have always been a rare commodity. Those who exist are often the main strikers in the top five leagues and rarely leave their teams under normal circumstances. As a result, top-class center forwards in the transfer market are almost non-existent. However, Zhekerai Shi, the forward from Sporting Portugal of the Portuguese Super League, is a sought-after striker. As the highest-valued player in the Portuguese Super League, his desire to play in one of the top five leagues is well-known. The management of his parent club also knows that they cannot keep their star player, so they treat any interested big-name clubs equally, hoping for a bidding war that would bring them a substantial profit.
Multiple media outlets have reported that Manchester United manager Amorim wants to bring his protégé Zhekerai Shi to Old Trafford to solve the team's weak front line. However, Manchester United is still observing the situation, with little actual action despite much noise. Recently, Bayern Munich from the Bundesliga and Barcelona from La Liga have joined the race aggressively. Although Bayern has the powerful Kane and Barcelona boasts the rejuvenated Lewandowski, both are over 30 years old. No one knows how long they can maintain their current form. Therefore, signing Zhekerai Shi now to prepare for the future is a wise move. Moreover, Sporting Portugal's asking price is not too high, around 80 million euros. In today's football market where player prices are often inflated, bringing him to the team at such a price seems like a good deal.
Last season, Zhekerai Shi scored an impressive 43 goals and provided 14 assists in 50 games across all competitions for Sporting Portugal, contributing to 57 goals on his own. This season, he has played 29 games, scoring 31 goals and providing 5 assists, directly participating in 36 of the team's goals, with an average goal rate exceeding one per game. Such consistent performance makes it unlikely that he is just a flash in the pan. That's why signing him for 80 million euros seems like a steal. For Bayern, 80 million euros is not a significant pressure. However, Barcelona's involvement is somewhat puzzling. Is it just joining in for fun again? After all, Laporta recently used clever diplomacy to resolve registration issues for Olmo and Victor. Additionally, Manchester United, which was said to be in a "leading position" to sign him, does it lack the funds to do so, or has the club's management lost faith in Amorim?
