Ask Mina: Best striker on the European market and a tight race in Uefa Champions League

Each week sports reporter Mina Rzouki answers a selection of readers' questions submitted via social media. If you have a question for Mina, you can ask her on either X or Instagram – both @MinaRzouki. Q: Who is the best European striker on the market who could move on this summer? @Ben_ellis123 via Instagram A. There are many brilliant strikers but very few are available, and if they are, then it seems they’re being linked to either Arsenal or Manchester United. A few weeks ago I wrote about Viktor Gyokeres , considered one of Arsenal’s targets. The Sweden international has a contract until 2028 with Sporting, but the Lisbon club are apparently willing to listen to offers that could see him depart this summer. According to UK media, however, it is Manchester United who have edged ahead and appear closer to securing a deal, reuniting the player with his former boss Ruben Amorim . United have scored two goals in their past five league games and we have yet to see the best of either Rasmus Hojlund or Joshua Zirkzee. The prevailing thought is that United need a striker better equipped to execute Amorim’s tactical ideals. There are others likely to garner plenty of interest. Alexander Isak has had a sensational season, scoring 22 goals and six assists in 31 Premier League games for Newcastle United. The Swede is considered one of the best strikers in the world and has caught the eye of some of the biggest clubs including Barcelona and Liverpool. His all-round game, ability to win possession in the final third, high sprint speed and incredible ability to produce in the big moments have seen him talked about incessantly. Newcastle appear confident of keeping their talisman but is the player tempted to leave? According to his advisors, Isak wants to focus on ending the season well and will then take the time to consider his options. Barcelona have also been linked. My initial thought was that the Catalans wouldn’t be able to afford him, considering their well-documented financial woes. But they’ve already won two trophies this season – the Spanish Super Cup and Copa del Rey – and are favourites to win the Uefa Champions League and La Liga, which would provide the additional funds they so desperately need. Victor Osimhen remains one of the most in-demand forwards in European football. He has registered 22 goals and five assists in the Turkish league for Galatasaray in 23 starting appearances and scored six goals in seven Europa League matches. He is a beast in front of goal and while his style of play is often cited as a contributing factor to frequent injuries, his insatiable thirst for goals, pace and athleticism always makes the difference. It was his confidence that Luciano Spalletti felt inspired the Napoli dressing room, leading to their first Serie A title in 33 years in 2023. The Nigerian is a known admirer of the Premier League and Chelsea as well as Manchester United have been credited with an interest. Q: Who could win the Uefa Champions League and your reasoning behind your choice? @Rozario_11 via Instagram A. Usually I can pick a winner by the time we reach the semi-final stage (I get it wrong but I still pick one!) but I’m genuinely struggling to decide which team will come out on top from these semi-finals, let alone the overall winner. After the quarter-finals, I was left stunned by the strength of all four teams. The level was high and there were no clear favourites. However, two weeks is a long time in football and now all I see are concerning vulnerabilities. Inter Milan were dreaming of a treble only a few weeks ago and were even targeting the Club World Cup trophy in the summer. But their dream has turned into a nightmare in the space of a few days as they have seemingly collapsed at exactly the wrong moment. A draw to Parma followed by three losses in a row saw them knocked out of the Coppa Italia and left them trailing Napoli by three points in Serie A. Their season is in jeopardy, and they could potentially end the season with no trophies at all. The club famed for their defensive strength look to have run out of gas and don’t boast the squad depth to allow them to compete in so many different competitions. Without Marcus Thuram upfront, they not only lack speed but a solid alternative to play alongside Lautaro Martinez. Their performances in the final 20 minutes of recent games have proved concerning, conceding 11 times. Coach Simone Inzaghi has been blamed for not transmitting the right mentality but it’s worth noting that Inter have played a ridiculous amount of games this season. Supporters cannot continue to expect miracles from a side that doesn’t have enough healthy options to rotate. Barcelona may be leading La Liga and favourites to win the Champions League, but their risky style of defending leaves them exposed far too often. Against Celta Vigo, their defensive vulnerabilities were laid bare and the performances of Frenkie de Jong are a concern. Borussia Dortmund showed in the quarter-finals how to consistently threaten Barca, and it remains to be seen how they will cope in the semi-finals without talisman and top-scorer Robert Lewandowski. However, the club boast a world-class fitness coach in Julio Tous who has ensured the team play at optimum levels deep into the season while Hansi Flick has changed mentalities in that dressing room. This is a side that can stage a comeback and they believe in their chances to turn a game, just like they did against Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final and against Celta Vigo. Arsenal boast the best defence and know how to stifle opponents. They were nothing short of exceptional against Real Madrid. However, they did look defensively shaky against Crystal Palace and can lose focus in critical moments of a match. I imagine we’ll see the best version of them in the semis but I’m not sure they have enough to beat genuinely complete teams. As for Paris Saint-Germain, this is a very young squad and when they focus, they are unbeatable. They can dominate, create and look defensively sound, too. But after winning the French league with six games to spare, they have dropped attention and have started losing games. That’s to be expected, but Luis Enrique played his best players over the weekend and they still lost 3-1 to Nice despite producing 32 shots and controlling possession. The way they dropped their focus against Aston Villa in the quarter-finals second leg set off warning bells, too. The game is never over until the final whistle. PSG have been so stunning to watch since December and if they show the levels exhibited against Liverpool during their Champions League last-16 ties then they have a real chance of doing something special. It remains to be seen if they can finish with aplomb because despite how much they dominate and create, they don’t score as frequently as they should. Q: Where do you see Kevin De Bruyne ending up now that his run at Manchester City is over? Fred Hamsayeh via Linkedin A. Pep Guardiola has already said how hard it will be to say goodbye to the City legend . Said to be keen on playing at a high level, De Bruyne will have several options despite his age and his high salary demands. Should he want to stay in England then I imagine the Belgian would have to consider a pay cut. Aston Villa have been heavily linked to the player, but they have a lot on their plate as they assess the future of players such as Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio. A lot will depend on whether they qualify for Europe next season, to better understand how much money they have to spend to satisfy the needs of coach Unai Emery. Villa are ambitious and are consistently looking to improve. Chelsea famously let go of De Bruyne only to watch him go on to become a Premier League great. De Bruyne featured in nine matches for Chelsea in the 2013/14 season before transferring to Wolfsburg and the Blues are reported to be considering a bid. However, I do not see this happening – how would a 33-year-old De Bruyne fit into a team built around Cole Palmer? A move to the US has also been touted. Major League Soccer uses a "discovery rights" system, allowing each club to designate up to five players on a list, thereby securing exclusive negotiating rights with those players and avoiding competition from other teams within the league. Inter Miami have apparently signed him to their list. That doesn’t mean that they are planning to negotiate with the player, it could just be a ploy to try to block their competition from reaching out to the player. The Belgian was linked to Saudi Pro League club Al Ittihad last season. The league continues to grow and attract attention and is proving more competitive each year. The kingdom remains a potential destination.

Ask Mina: Best striker on the European market and a tight race in Uefa Champions League

In her weekly Q&A, The National's resident expert addresses topics from around the football world