You could sense that Manchester United were going to be fragile in the forward areas this season.

The Old Trafford side sold Romelu Lukaku before the transfer window shut in the summer and they didn’t replace the Belgian, who bagged twenty-eight Premier League goals during his two years at the club.

Under former boss Jose Mourinho, Lukaku was often the focal point to United’s attack. That started to change once Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took over the managerial reigns but Romelu still grabbed goals for Ole, even if he wasn’t an automatic starter.

His departure left the Manchester giants with Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial as the recognised first team forwards. Both are potential world beaters but neither have yet netted more than eleven league goals in a single campaign.

Solskjaer also promoted young Mason Greenwood to the first team squad but the boy is still only seventeen and looks very raw. He can’t be considered as a first team starter and will get most of his chances from the best this term.

That’s it!

Anthony Martial has missed United last few games due to a thigh injury (Via The Metro) and it has shown up just how threadbare Man Utd’s attack really is. Too much pressure is now at the feet of Rashford as he tries to find the goals needed to secure his side valuable points.

I can’t believe that the Man United hierarchy aren’t actively pursuing targets in the hope of bringing in a new striker once the January transfer window opens.

Reports in the Manchester Evening News suggest that the Old Trafford club are interested in AFC Bournemouth hitman Callum Wilson.

It’s a potential move that would make a lot of sense in my eyes.

Wilson is twenty-seven years of age and that should see him hitting his peak years as a striker. Last term he scored fourteen goals in thirty league outings and he’s got three strikes in five games this season already. His form last year saw the forward receive his first call-up into Gareth Southgate’s England side and he’s now won three caps and scored for his country too.

He’s a forward that links up well with the widemen and that will be crucial in Solskjaer’s set-up. He can come deep and create space and he can also provide flick-ons for fellow attackers.

Callum would also offer a different option to what’s already there at Old Trafford. He’s a better protector of the ball and is more of a focal point for his team.

The striker is also an intelligent player. He can use his strength and speed to evade challenges, turn players and get into the box. He knows how to find space when inside the penalty area and that’s a valuable commodity for any striker. Wilson can finish with either foot.

As well as being a dependable goalscorer, Callum is also great at creating chances for those playing in and around him. The forward created nine assists in the Premier League last season!

The striker has a habit of making forceful and deliberate runs into the channels, then finding himself on the ball and producing strong deliveries into the box. By doing that he creates plenty of space for incoming fellow attackers. That could suit the likes of Rashford and Martial.

That being said it won’t be an easy deal to do. I doubt Bournemouth will be happy sellers and will want top dollar for their proven goalscorer. That could see United potentially shelling out a huge amount for the forward.

Posted on September 18th, 2019 by scott
Filed under: Article