After another poor attacking display from Manchester United against Fulham, it seems clear that the Red Devils have been missing an out-and-out centre forward. While some purple patches from Marcus Rashford have papered over the cracks over the past decade, it feels like United have never replaced the title-winning form that Robin van Persie displayed in Sir Alex Ferguson’s final season in charge.
So far this season, Man Utd find themselves languishing in the bottom half of the Premier League table, scoring just 28 goals this season. This places them as the 14th-highest scorers in the league. If new manager Ruben Amorim is to elevate this club back to its former glories, it is likely that he will require a new main goal threat up front.
Below are some of The Deck’s picks as potential new strikers for the Manchester club. They must be athletic, able to hold the ball up, and, most importantly, be able to find the back of the net regularly.
Established Stars – Gyokeres, and Osimhen
Former Brighton and Coventry star Victor Gyokeres helped Ruben Amorim’s Sporting Lisbon win the Portuguese title last season, scoring 32 goals in the process. He has the perfect combination of athleticism and an eye for goal in addition to being fully experienced in Amorim’s 3-4-3 system.
The Swedish international will be linked with a return to England but it remains to be seen whether Manchester United’s financial situation will be strong enough to beat any rivals to Gyokeres’ signature.
Nigerian superstar Victor Osimhen has scored over 20 league goals in his last three full seasons. Currently on loan at Galatasaray, the former Lille forward has scored 12 league goals in 13 starts for the Turkish side.
Osimhen was linked with a move away from Napoli in the summer. As such, he was allowed to leave on loan after his shirt number was given to new signing Romelu Lukaku. This would indicate that he could be available for purchase.
Young Potential – Ekitike, Sesko, and Omorodion
French striker Hugo Ekitike has been playing fantastically for Eintracht Frankfurt this season, scoring 11 goals. The 22-year-old has shown silky skills regularly in the Bundesliga along with intelligent movement off the ball and an eye for the back of the net. His ability on the ball seems reminiscent of a young Alexander Isak, something which should catch the eye of all the European giants.
Benjamin Sesko is a name that has been well-known in scouting circles for a long time now. The young Slovenian has consistently shown elite athleticism combined with a rare level of technical ability. Last season he scored 14 goals from 7.7xG while this season he has scored eight from an xG of 4.8. This consistent overperformance is similar to consistent players like Heung-Min Son.
Spanish international Samu Omorodion joined Porto in the summer for 15 million euros following a year on loan at La Liga club Alaves. So far this season, the 20-year-old has scored 13 goals in 15 league appearances for the Portuguese side whilst also shining in Europe where he scored a brace against Manchester United. He has the physical and technical attributes to play in the Premier League but it remains to be seen whether United would want to risk buying a young striker once again.
The Internal Solution – Rashford or Obi-Martin
Marcus Rashford has been the primary goal scorer for the club since his debut season under Louis van Gaal. The famous academy product has not always been consistent from season to season but his combination of pace, dribbling skills, and ball-striking is rare to find.
It remains to be seen whether Marcus Rashford will be a Manchester United player for much longer but if he stays at Old Trafford then he is a potential solution to the lack of goals at the club.
United are famous for their youth academy with legendary manager Ferguson famously using the Class of ’92 to great effect during his reign. New boss Amorim might be wise to look at a similar solution to his goal-scoring woes. Recent signing Chido Obi-Martin caught the eye with Manchester United U18s when scoring a hat-trick against Nottingham Forest before the 17-year-old was promoted to the U21 side.
What Should Manchester United Do?
Manchester United currently have two young strikers in Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee. While Zirkzee has shown recent signs that he is establishing himself as the starter, his lack of output in front of goal will need to improve if United are to reach the heights that they would like to do.
Therefore, Ruben Amorim and his staff would be best placed to sign an established star to shoulder the pressure of leading the line at Old Trafford. His established relationship with Gyokeres would make this the safest option of the ones outlined above but all decisions made on transfers will more than likely be heavily influenced by United’s financial situation and their compliance with the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules.