Manchester United returned to sparkling attacking football in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first game in charge as the club’s new interim manager.

The team scored five for the first time in the Premier League since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement, as they beat Cardiff City 5-1 on Saturday.

If the Norwegian coach believes that Man United needs more attacking options, then there are three former Red Devils that might take his fancy when the transfer reopens on January the first.

(I should stress that United may not want any of the trio and they certainly won’t go out and bring all three back to Old Trafford) 

JOSHUA KING

King signed for United in 2008, aged just sixteen, and stayed at the club until 2013. He wouldn’t play for the first team in a Premier League match, although he did make two appearances in cup competitions.

He left Man United in order to gain more first team opportunities and managed to get those at Blackburn Rovers. After impressing in The Championship the forward would then join AFC Bournemouth in 2015, just in time for their top flight debut.

Once again he impressed with The Cherries and has managed to grab goals in the Premier League. In the 2016-17 season, the Norwegian managed to grab sixteen league goals. In total, Joshua has managed to hit thirty-five strikes in 112 games in England’s top tier (he’s also provided nine assists in that time) and he’s now a regular in the Norway national team.

According to British tabloid The Sun, Manchester United are preparing a £25m move to bring King back to the ‘Theatre of Dreams’.

The could make sense given Josh and Ole are compatriots and the fact that Solskjaer coached King during his days in charge of the youth team at United. So Ole will know all about the Bournemouth attacker’s best attributes.

The twenty-six year old is a consistent Premier League performer and he’s also a versatile forward, who can play anywhere in the attacking areas. For the majority of this term he’s played as a forward in a two up top with Callum Wilson.

King’s decent in the air, possesses good pace and he enjoys putting opposition defences onto the back foot.

Recently Cherries boss Eddie Howe told The Bournemouth Daily Echo that the forward gives his side a different dimension:

“He is a huge player for us. Physically, I thought he did really well considering he had been out of action for a while. He added a different dimension to our frontline, worked very well with Callum (Wilson) and I was very impressed with him

“I think they linked well together and were a threat, especially during the opening period.

“They pinned back their centre-backs and gave them a problem in behind.”

Now I doubt Howe would want to sell King but with Chelsea circling around Wilson, the Bournemouth gaffer may sacrifice King in order to hold onto his top goalscorer.

ADNAN JANUZAJ 

The young Belgian winger showed all of England what he was still capable of when he struck a tremendous strike that saw his side beat The Three Lions in their final group game of the World Cup in the summer.

Adnan had a great maiden season with Man United in 2013, during the ill-fated David Moyes era. As a teenager the winger scored four times in twenty-seven league outings that term and his skill-set had many a full-back bamboozled.

Unfortunately Januzaj didn’t replicate that form under Louis van Gaal and was sent out on loan a few times before Jose Mourinho sold him in 2017 without giving him another chance to shine in the league.

The Belgian internationalist would join La Liga cracks Real Sociedad and he’s been fairly successful in San Sebastien.

In his thirty-six Spanish top flight appearances since joining Sociedad, Adnan has scored three goals and set-up seven assists.

He’s still a direct attacking threat and one that looks at his best on the right-wing, a position United have struggled to fill so far this term. Man United made sure they inserted a buy-back clause into the deal that saw them sell Januzaj to the Spanish club.

Still just twenty-three years of age and definitely a player with plenty of ability but I feel United will think that he hasn’t proven himself yet and isn’t ready to return at this moment in time.

MEMPHIS DEPAY

Like Adnan, United made sure they had a buy-back clause put into the deal that saw Memphis Depay move to Lyon as reported by Manchester Evening News.

At the time, then Red Devils manager Jose Mourinho stated just why that particular clause was insisted upon:

“Because potentially he’s a very good player. think when Mr Van Gaal decided to buy him he did well, he knew him very well from the national team, he was very young when at the World Cup he had flashes of top quality.”

“He was playing well in Holland, we know the Dutch league is not the same but he was showing very good things. So I think Mr Van Gaal and Manchester United did very well to buy him.

“He didn’t succeed in his 18 months but he’s very young so I think it’s important for the club to complete control of this talent and we all wish he plays very, very well at Lyon and why not to come back because everyone here likes him.”

The Dutchman is a fairly flamboyant character and no player has bettered his seven assists in Ligue 1 so far this term. The twenty-four year old has also managed to grab five league goals this season. He scored an impressive nineteen goals last year as Lyon finished in third place.

Can play on the left, through the centre or as a number ten. United may be interested in bringing him back if they decide to offload Alexis Sanchez during the transfer window. They may also bring him back, just to sell him on for a higher fee to potential suitors within the next twelve months.

He’s a player that can excite supporters with his keen eye for a pass and his ability from set-pieces.

Impressed against Manchester City earlier in this campaign during Lyon’s win over City in the Champions League. Afterwards Depay would state on social media that ‘Manchester is still red’.

That would have struck a cord with the Man United support but I wonder if the United’s hierarchy will believe that the Dutch star is ready to shine in a red jersey!

Posted on December 24th, 2018 by scott
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