Having seen Cody Gakpo snapped up by arch rivals Liverpool this week, Manchester United are back to square one in their search for a new goalscorer.
So to give the Red Devils a hand in their hunt for a new striker, we decided to draw up a shortlist of options they could target this January.
In the words of Maui, you’re welcome…
Club: Juventus
Age: 22
Games: 15
Goals: 7
If Erling Haaland wasn’t a thing, then Dusan Vlahovic would be widely regarded as the best young number nine in the world.
Only 22 years old, Vlahovic has everything you’d want in a number nine already and he’s only going to get better too.
Having signed for Juventus in the 2021/22 transfer window for a fee which could rise to €91.6m, it’s fair to say that any deal the Red Devils could make to sign Vlahovic would be an expensive one. However, when one considers Juve’s current financial situation (it’s very, very bad), it’s not as impossible a signing as it might initially seem.
Club: Barcelona
Age: 28
Games: 3
Goals: 1
Ok, we know, Memphis Depay’s first spell at Old Trafford was a complete and utter disaster. That doesn’t mean that it can’t work out for the Dutchman in Manchester at the second attempt though.
Memphis probably wasn’t ready for United in 2015 and is a much, much better player now than he was back then having enjoyed fruitful five years at Lyon in between.
Now at Barcelona and generally not wanted by manager Xavi, the Red Devils could swoop in and get a quality player for next to nothing this January.
Club: LOSC Lille
Age: 22
Games: 15
Goals: 9
Having admitted to being interested in a move to the Premier League and his manager Paulo Fonseca admitting that it will be difficult to keep hold of him long term, Jonathan David seems like a pretty obvious target for Man Utd.
Coupled with being available, David is also really quite good.
The Canadian has bagged an impressive nine goals in Ligue 1 so far this season and his runs in behind defences and sheer work rate are ideal for Erik ten Hag’s United.
Club: Fulham
Age: 28
Games: 13
Goals: 10
No striker on this list has been more prolific than Aleksandar Mitrovic during the 2022/23 season.
That in itself is pretty damn impressive.
Mitro is also the only ‘Premier League proven’ player on this list having scored all those goals at Fulham.
He wouldn’t be the most exciting signing United could make, but he would be a pratical one.
Club: Atletico Madrid
Age: 23
Games: 17
Goals: 3
Signed for €126m and now potentially available on a loan deal this January.
That doesn’t look too great for Joao Felix, but it’s not entirely all his fault. Diego Simeone has never fully understood what to do with a player as mercurial as Felix – mainly because he’s not a towering centre-back – and it’s cost the player some of his formative years.
With Atleti now hoping to cut their losses, the La Liga club’s loss may very well be United’s gain and early talks have already taken place.
Felix could play anywhere in the front three and even deputise for Bruno Fernandes in attacking midfield when required too.
Credit: 90min.com
