 BEST STRIKERS TO TARGET IN JANUARY

by Silvio Scicluna

As I start to write this article, three days after domestic football started a six week break to accommodate the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, it seems like the perfect time to take a step back and reflect on the first part of what has been a pretty eventful first part of the season for Manchester United. Fifth position in the league is not a bad place to be in after that disastrous start to the season when things looked very bleak and ominous on that utterly forgettable afternoon in Brentford. Through to the knockout phase in the Europa League where the mighty Barcelona await in February and also through to the next round in the Carabao Cup, one can justifiably say that it has been a decent start for Erik ten Hag’s United.

And, apart from the four defeats in the league which unfortunately have nearly all been by large scorelines (four at Brentford, six at City and three at Villa), the defensive aspect of the team seems to have gone from strength to strength, helped in no small measure by the steady improvement and sheer determination of Lisandro Martinez in defence and the calming influence of Casemiro in midfield. But one glaring flaw in this current United side is the lack of goals in the team. To have a goal difference of 0 when already 14 matches have been played is a worrying statistic. Granted, those aforementioned heavy defeats have not helped but scoring just 20 goals is concerning. And in nearly all the matches played, the consistent trend is that our strikers are just not being clinical enough in front of goal. The stats will tell you that many chances are being created but we have consistently just not been ruthless enough in finishing off those goalscoring opportunities. Our forwards have only scored a total of 13 goals between them in the league so far.

I must admit that when the editor suggested the title for this article, I had in mind to highlight potential strikers that Manchester United could target, but not necessarily in January. After all, almost everybody agrees that it is notoriously difficult to buy the best players in the winter transfer window. But, as I write, the now infamous Cristiano Ronaldo exclusive interview with Piers Morgan is making the headlines worldwide and the upshot from all that will surely mean that CR7 has surely played his last game for United. There cannot be a way back for him at the club. He has burnt his bridges with Ten Hag and the owners and he has to go. One suspects that this is ultimately why he did the interview in the first place, to engineer the move away from United that he has been angling for since the summer. And one can argue that it could actually turn out to be a blessing in disguise for United. Because, let’s face it, he’s way past his best and in reality he was holding us back with his lack of pressing and in general being out of sync with ten Hag’s footballing principles. He was, in reality, a spare part in our forward line, and a faulty one at that. He was not contributing. So, if the original plan had been to keep Ronaldo in the hope that he might step up and start scoring in the second half of the season (and by default only look to replace him with a new striker in the summer) this has now surely changed. Manchester United must look to buy a new forward in January, or at least try.

Many potential strikers are being mentioned, some more realistic and attainable than others. But it all depends on what ten Hag wants. It might well be that he has already targeted one particular centre forward and most likely such a move will only be doable in the summer. If that is the case I wouldn’t be surprised if he continues with the attacking players that we already have on our books (Rashford, Martial, Elanga, Garnacho, Sancho and Antony) and hope that they will be more prolific as the season progresses. But if not, and he decides to do something about the lack of goals sooner rather than later, then who might be the best strikers to target in January? The following are some of the potential ones: Cody GAKPO (PSV Eindhoven) The bookies’ favourite it seems. He shares an agent with ten Hag, is reportedly willing to make the step up to a bigger club and PSV would be willing sellers. Although not an outright centre forward and prefers mainly to play off the left like Rashford, his physique means he could easily play as a no.9 and his goal ratio is impressive. One to watch.

Victor OSIMHEN (Napoli) Possibly the last remaining of that small group of emerging strikers (Haaland, Vlahovic and Darwin Nunez were the others) that is still to make a move. Apparently he is a self-confessed United fan and would surely be willing to make the move at some point. Whether Napoli would be willing to let him go as they chase glory in Italy and the CL is another matter. He would probably command a record transfer fee so this one could be difficult.

Memphis DEPAY (Barcelona) The former United forward has lost his way in Spain. He is definitely not in the manager’s plans and according to multiple reports he’s looking for a move in January. His contract is up in the summer so Barcelona could allow him to move for a modest fee this winter. Some say he has unfinished business and more than a point to prove at Old Trafford. And being Dutch would mean he could integrate seamlessly with ten Hag’s philosophies. A win-win situation all round. Jonathan DAVID (Lille) Another young and prolific striker. The 22‑year old has long been making noises in France with his impressive stats. He’s gone on record to say that he hope to make the step up to a bigger club and his value might increase if he has a good World Cup with Canada. I wouldn’t imagine Lille will stand in his way if a good offer comes through. Definitely one to keep an eye on. Marcus THURAM (Borussia Moenchengladbach) The 25-year old is in the last year of his contract in Germany and is at the perfect age to make a big move. He has as an imposing physique that could make him the ideal target man that United have lacked for a while. I feel that if United do make a genuine offer, Gladbach would sell and the player would definitely be tempted.

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