Story byMikel Oyarzabal: United ready to trigger Spaniard’s release clauseThe Peoples PersonThu, January 22, 2026 at 5:30 AM UTC·3 min readLike their predecessors, INEOS have also chosen to place the entire burden of Manchester United’s goalscoring on a young centre-forward. The Glazers had signed Rasmus Hojlund, fresh from a decent season with Atalanta, for an initial fee of £64 million. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThey thought they had signed a superstar-in-the-making, but the young Dane struggled in his two seasons in Manchester, scoring 26 times in 95 games across all competitions. Ruben Amorim was clearly not impressed and asked for further quality and the Denmark international was shipped out to Napoli. United need more quality up topFollowing head of recruitment Christopher Vivell’s directions, the Red Devils brought in Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig. Ollie Watkins of Aston Villa was the head coach’s choice but he was overruled. Till now, the Slovenian has shown flashes of his undoubted talent, scoring five goals in 19 outings across all competitions. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBut clearly, the 20-time English league champions need more from their No.9, and hence, there have been murmurs that INEOS are looking to bring in an experienced backup. Joshua Zirkzee, signed as a versatile backup, has proven to be effective when it comes to link-up play but not in front of goal, and hence, he is likely to be shown the door soon with plenty of interest from Serie A sides. Mikel Oyarzabal on United’s radarDanny Welbeck’s name has been doing the rounds, but according to Football Transfers, the three-time Champions League winners have now zeroed in on a surprise name. United sent scouts to watch Mikel Oyarzabal of Real Sociedad in action and they reportedly have “serious interest” in the Spaniard. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe 28-year-old has a €75 million release clause in his contract and can play all across the frontline and even as an attacking midfielder if needed.“But Rashford’s future wasn’t the only factor taking Man Utd to watch Barcelona at the weekend; Real Sociedad midfielder Mikel Oyarzabal is a player they are tracking. His release clause is high“The 28-year-old, who has a €75m release clause in his contract, has been on the Red Devils’ radar for some time.“While it’s unconfirmed that the trip to San Sebastian was directly linked with Oyarzabal’s future, FootballTransfers’ well-placed sources indicate that there is “serious interest” in the Spain star.”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHe has six goals and three assists this season, while last term, the Spain international netted 18 times across all competitions while also providing eight assists. United fans will be familiar with Mikel Oyarzabal, as the Eibar-born ace scored in both legs of the Europa League quarter-final last season and was the matchwinner for Spain in their Euro final triumph over England in 2024. Versatile ace, but too costlySuch versatility would work well at the Theatre of Dreams, but whether INEOS will be willing to pay such a high fee for a player without Premier League experience remains to be seen. There is interest from Aston Villa as well, and a move for the Real Sociedad skipper is more likely in the summer rather than now. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementFeature image Juan Manuel Serrano Arce via Getty Imagesonline pollsThe Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson. bsky. social.