Potential striker signings (who aren't named Højlund)

[The Irish Connection]

If we get Ten Hag, Kane would be brilliant. Ten Hag likes his centre forward to hold it up and bring the wingers or full backs into it as they overlap, and Kane is probably the best in the world at that.
He hasn’t had as good a season as other years and is a year further into his contract so maybe available for less (doubtful). If we were going to spend a bit more on one player I would go for Kane.
The other options around aren’t great.

 

[giorno]

Bar a genuine world class player(Haaland, Kane, Lewandowski, Benzema) you might be better off going for fit.

In which case you should go for Isak. Doesn't score much but does everything else at a high level and you Bruno and Sancho for goals anyways

 

[Hansi Fick]

My choice too.

From this weekend...



https://streamff.com/v/bc04fc

Unfortunately, he was apparently in attendance for the Liverpool game at the weekend, which makes you think he may be on his way there.

Eh? You post a clip of him playing this weekend, but then he was in Liverpool? Makes no sense whatsover.

 

[DickDastardly]

The more you see Pool and Shitty battling for consecutive titles year after year WITHOUT a proper center forward the more i think it's not that big of a priority.


And, feck you Greenwood again.

 

[NoPace]

Adeyemi to Dortmund said to be off and he'd only cost 40. We could maybe play like this:

Sancho-Bruno-Adeyemi
--------------VDB------
------------CM---------------------
----------------DM-----------------

if the hiring of Rangnick is a sign we're trying to be Klopp-y (Pochettino I guess or keeping Rangnick) instead of trying to be Pep-y (Ten Hag).

And obviously he can play as a 9 too if someone pops on the right and just put Bruno into VDB's spot.

Could also work as a signing with a RW too, and he'd have a year to battle with Cristiano as they're very different, with Adeyemi playing against a high line and Cristiano against lower blocks, though they'd definitely fight when they played together with Adeyemi on the right because he doesn't look to pass or cross much.

 

[L1nk]

From the available choices you'd have to say either Jonathan David or Darwin Nunez would be our best options. Maybe throw Aleksander Isak into that

 

[MattofManchester]

He's having a shockingly bad season, but if you want a striker who can run in behind and offer some decent hold-up play, Alexander Isak should probably get a mention.

 

[sullydnl]

The more you see Pool and Shitty battling for consecutive titles year after year WITHOUT a proper center forward the more i think it's not that big of a priority.


And, feck you Greenwood again.

Sort of. It's important to have enough goals coming from somewhere and it's important to have someone in the CF position who contributes a lot to the team's attack in general play (as Liverpool and City do). But they don't have to be one and the same.

I don't think we have someone who contributes enough to the team attack as a lone striker as is and we're short on numbers anyway, so *someone* definitely needs to be signed for that position. But we don't neccesarily need that player to be some 30 goal a season CF. Even just a CF who helps make the rest of the team more cohesive in general play would be a help.

 

[pocco]

Eh? You post a clip of him playing this weekend, but then he was in Liverpool? Makes no sense whatsover.

Sorry, he was at the Liverpool game the weekend before I think.

 

[mitchmouse]

We may as well buy fellaini back and play him upfront

At lest Fellaini always looked as if he was trying and was passionate... which is more than can be said from some of our current player

 

[SparkedIntoLife]

Adeyemi to Dortmund said to be off and he'd only cost 40. We could maybe play like this:

Sancho-Bruno-Adeyemi
--------------VDB------
------------CM---------------------
----------------DM-----------------

if the hiring of Rangnick is a sign we're trying to be Klopp-y (Pochettino I guess or keeping Rangnick) instead of trying to be Pep-y (Ten Hag).

And obviously he can play as a 9 too if someone pops on the right and just put Bruno into VDB's spot.

Could also work as a signing with a RW too, and he'd have a year to battle with Cristiano as they're very different, with Adeyemi playing against a high line and Cristiano against lower blocks, though they'd definitely fight when they played together with Adeyemi on the right because he doesn't look to pass or cross much.

Adeyemi is a good shout for the RW. Like Mason, left footed and more of a goalscorer which compliments Sancho well on the other side. A good Greenwood replacement. Not sure on his character though. Bayern released him years ago because of his poor behaviour so I hope he’s grown up since then.

We could sign Adeyemi and De Ketelaere for 70m combined probably. Two hugely promising strikers for the price of one Isak, Nunez (60m mentioned), Haaland etc.

 

[ThierryHenry14]

Adeyemi to Dortmund said to be off

It makes too much sense for Adeyemi to join BVB for his development. They will find an agreement in the end.

 

[Red Dreams]

Howson is raving about Darwin Nunez (Benefica)
Any of you lads seen him?

 

[NoPace]

Howson is raving about Darwin Nunez (Benefica)
Any of you lads seen him?

I watched the first Ajax leg and he has real energy and power, but he also dribbles with his head down a lot for a top level player which turned me off considering he'd cost like 60M apparently and not like 20M. A proper #9, sort of a 90s Prem type.

 

[Red Dreams]

I watched the first Ajax leg and he has real energy and power, but he also dribbles with his head down a lot for a top level player which turned me off considering he'd cost like 60M apparently and not like 20M. A proper #9, sort of a 90s Prem type.

thanks

 

[sullydnl]

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[DeeDee7]

The more you see Pool and Shitty battling for consecutive titles year after year WITHOUT a proper center forward the more i think it's not that big of a priority.


And, feck you Greenwood again.

This.. Kinda....
It's not that you don't need a proper centre forward. But you Don't need an existing 25 goal a year centre forward if you can't have it. We need players with discipline, Physicality and energy, and a good footballing brain. the Goals will come for the side when everyone clicks and the balance is found.

Stats can be so misleading. Last seasons goals and assists belong to last season's team efforts. Simply bringing that player in without ensuring they have the right character, discipline, fitness levels ect ect.

 

[MattofManchester]

The more you see Pool and Shitty battling for consecutive titles year after year WITHOUT a proper center forward the more i think it's not that big of a priority.


And, feck you Greenwood again.

"Kinda", but also, not quite imo.

City are an anomaly, the style that Pep incorporates is one of a kind. Nobody else plays similar to his brand, so therefore they aren't really a good comparison.

On the other hand, the most common feature in most of the top teams is the majority have a player(not necessarily a striker), who can hit at least 25 a season. You need that goalscoring consistency from somewhere. Liverpool have a Salah, Bayern have Lewandowski, Madrid have Benzema, Dortmund have Haaland, PSG have Mbappe, Juve now have Vlahovic.

We kinda saw this when we signed Van Persie back in '12 and he catapulted us to the 20th.

However, in our case, the midfield needs fixing before anything else, as whatever striker we get before that will just get railroaded with criticism.

 

[youmeletsfly]

I watched the first Ajax leg and he has real energy and power, but he also dribbles with his head down a lot for a top level player which turned me off considering he'd cost like 60M apparently and not like 20M. A proper #9, sort of a 90s Prem type.

I only watched two of his games but I can say the same, he has a habit of putting his head in the ground, similar to Rashford, albeit his dribbles are actually successful.

 

[NoPace]

I only watched two of his games but I can say the same, he has a habit of putting his head in the ground, similar to Rashford, albeit his dribbles are actually successful.

Yeah, that's the kind of thing that's fine in a backup 9 or on a team that can live with that problem up top, but less so in your main guy for a top team. Someone like Shick doesn't have that problem, though he's also not got the power of Nunez. Though I feel like Drogba had the same issue earlier in his career and he improved, so who knows.

 

[jackal&hyde]

If we get Poch it's almost definitely Kane.

 

[Andrew7582]

If we get Poch it's almost definitely Kane.

I very much doubt that we'll have the budget to get Kane, unless we ignore our other issues for another year.

 

[jackal&hyde]

I very much doubt that we'll have the budget to get Kane, unless we ignore our other issues for another year.

We have so many issues where do you even begin? We will go big on the striker imo and try to do smart moves for the mid; maybe Kamara on the free and one other. I don't see us getting more then 3 players in. Maybe also a cheap-ish defender if we can move Jones and Bailly on. It's not what I want but it's what I think it's most likely especially if Poch is the manager.

 

[Andrew7582]

We have so many issues where do you even begin? We will go big on the striker imo and try to do smart moves for the mid; maybe Kamara on the free and one other. I don't see us getting more then 3 players in. Maybe also a cheap-ish defender if we can move Jones and Bailly on. It's not what I want but it's what I think it's most likely especially if Poch is the manager.

The stories being put out are that our budget will be cut if we miss out on CL, potentially to as low as £50 million. People expecting a big summer from us will be very disappointed I think. Kane will cost £100 million + on his own and it will drag on all summer as Levy is a nightmare to deal with. And really what's the point, by the time this latest rebuild is complete Kane will be past it. He's someone that you sign as the finishing piece when everything else is in place, not at the beginning of a rebuild.

 

[AndySmith1990]

We have so many issues where do you even begin? We will go big on the striker imo and try to do smart moves for the mid; maybe Kamara on the free and one other. I don't see us getting more then 3 players in. Maybe also a cheap-ish defender if we can move Jones and Bailly on. It's not what I want but it's what I think it's most likely especially if Poch is the manager.

It'd be moronic to go big on a striker. We could sign Haaland and we'd still not come close to the title. We need to be smarter than that and find multiple low cost options to fill in all key positions who fit the style we play.

 

[jesperjaap]

He was a sub if I remember him correctly
Considering our fullbacks can’t cross and our wingers play more like system players I don’t see bellotti being useful to us

Think being free he is a decent option as a secodn choice striker, but that means we still need to sign one. Personally unless he asks to leave this summer, I dont understand why people are so keen to Ronaldo to leave making this kind of signing. Woul dmuch rather sign a quality young striker and keep Ronaldo as we need two options up front next season

 

[croadyman]

It'd be moronic to go big on a striker. We could sign Haaland and we'd still not come close to the title. We need to be smarter than that and find multiple low cost options to fill in all key positions who fit the style we play.

Yeah hopefully the club are thinking that too

 

[Hugh Jass]

It'd be moronic to go big on a striker. We could sign Haaland and we'd still not come close to the title. We need to be smarter than that and find multiple low cost options to fill in all key positions who fit the style we play.

100% agree. The galatico era has failed miserably.

 

[Rozay]

Joao Felix is beginning to intrigue me more. But as I’ve said many times, all about the balance of the team. I don’t think we should go for a player like Felix or Kane if we are going to play a #10. False 9’s don’t play with 10s, they play with 3 proper midfielders. We also don’t have currently have a Son to go with our Kane. No point in having a Kane that wants to feed a Sancho who only wants to feed Kane. We’d either need a Haaland to our Sancho or a Son to our Kane. We need to stop just adding players that are not making sense with each other.

 

[GledTheRed]

I love Kane but we should have been sniffing when he was 24 and not 29.

He'll go to City anyway, sideways step coming to us.

 

[dinostar77]

I'd take Benzema if Madrid push him to the sidelines and land both Haaland and Mbappe. Though im not sure if he'd come here. One phonecall to Varane and he'll let him know what a clusterfeck this club is and it will be a no.

 

[sherrinford]

Joao Felix is beginning to intrigue me more. But as I’ve said many times, all about the balance of the team. I don’t think we should go for a player like Felix or Kane if we are going to play a #10. False 9’s don’t play with 10s, they play with 3 proper midfielders. We also don’t have currently have a Son to go with our Kane. No point in having a Kane that wants to feed a Sancho who only wants to feed Kane. We’d either need a Haaland to our Sancho or a Son to our Kane. We need to stop just adding players that are not making sense with each other.

Depends on the no.10 (or equivalent position). Griezmann, Giuly, Reus or Thomas Muller are some examples of players who played in the hole and who's playing style suits that of a Kane. Van de Beek successfully played off of Tadic, Robbie Keane off of Berbatov. It can work, and Fernandes isn't exactly an ill fit as off the ball running is a big feature of his game. He could also play as part of a 'proper' midfield three if you really wanted the no.10 space unoccupied.

I completely agree with your second/ overarching point though - it's all about balance. The problem with the idea of buying Kane or Felix, as you said, is that they're not an ideal fit for playing with Sancho.

 

[Rolaholic]

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[Powderfinger]

Depends on the no.10 (or equivalent position). Griezmann, Giuly, Reus or Thomas Muller are some examples of players who played in the hole and who's playing style suits that of a Kane. Van de Beek successfully played off of Tadic, Robbie Keane off of Berbatov. It can work, and Fernandes isn't exactly an ill fit as off the ball running is a big feature of his game. He could also play as part of a 'proper' midfield three if you really wanted the no.10 space unoccupied.

I completely agree with your second/ overarching point though - it's all about balance. The problem with the idea of buying Kane or Felix, as you said, is that they're not an ideal fit for playing with Sancho.

Also depends on the 9. Kane likes to drop deep but he has been a 9 all his life and he knows how to get into the box, get on the end of chances, and lead the line when necessary. I don't see much of a problem with him and Bruno together.

Joao Felix or Nkunku is a completely different matter. Trying to play one of those guys as a false nine alongside Bruno is just FIFA lineup stuff.

In the end, its not rocket science. If United is committed to Bruno as the 10 and Sancho as a creative LW, then they need a real 9 and a real RW, preferably a left footer. They should look for players who fit those profiles, not players who have the most hype or whatever.

 

[pocco]

Wouldn't want any of them, don't think any are United quality. Joao Felix is one I think has a huge potential but he'd cost a fortune and would suit City more than our football. Incredibly talented though. Vlahovic was the other I looked but obviously he's gone.

I'm saying it now but we need to move heaven and earth and get him in. We need more players on the wavelength of Sancho and become a better footballing team. Forget your Kane types.

He's been linked with arsenal recently, we can't let that happen as unlikely as it sounds anyway.

 

[Lash]

I'm saying it now but we need to move heaven and earth and get him in. We need more players on the wavelength of Sancho and become a better footballing team. Forget your Kane types.

He's been linked with arsenal recently, we can't let that happen as unlikely as it sounds anyway.

Agreed, not sure he's as good as he has been against us consistently, but I'd happily give him the opportunity to be.

 

[UNITED ACADEMY]

Wouldn't want any of them, don't think any are United quality. Joao Felix is one I think has a huge potential but he'd cost a fortune and would suit City more than our football. Incredibly talented though. Vlahovic was the other I looked but obviously he's gone.

He would cost 150m. Young player with long term contract and Atl Madrid invested more than 100m on him.

 

[UNITED ACADEMY]

Dybala for free? He had good season statistically but worried with his injury lately and also we have bad record with Argentina player.

 

[ThierryHenry14]

He's been linked with arsenal recently, we can't let that happen as unlikely as it sounds anyway.

It won't happen for the quoted price so no worry.

 

[sherrinford]

Also depends on the 9. Kane likes to drop deep but he has been a 9 all his life and he knows how to get into the box, get on the end of chances, and lead the line when necessary. I don't see much of a problem with him and Bruno together.

Joao Felix or Nkunku is a completely different matter. Trying to play one of those guys as a false nine alongside Bruno is just FIFA lineup stuff.

In the end, its not rocket science. If United is committed to Bruno as the 10 and Sancho as a creative LW, then they need a real 9 and a real RW, preferably a left footer. They should look for players who fit those profiles, not players who have the most hype or whatever.

If we had a Mbappe/ Mane/ Salah/ Aubameyang/ Villa/ Eto'o out wide then there would be nothing wrong with playing Joao Felix as a centre forward.

We have Sancho. So bring in a true no.9 - someone who stretches the play and is a goalscorer.

Fernandes is dynamic and adaptable enough as to not warrant consideration when looking at the potential options for that position.