If we can't get Kane or Osimhen, I'd hope we'd push for Lautaro.
I also think we should be signing Thuram on a free as a backup, either way.
I also think we should be signing Thuram on a free as a backup, either way.
Who is the best striker option other than Kane/Osimhen?
- Thread starter sullydnl
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I feel the same.
There are tonnes of strikers currently better than him but he is the one for me.
Kolo Muani is a good player but he doesn't strike me as a true CF. Most of his G/A highlights consist of him running down the wing. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, versatility is good and something ETH likes very much. Also I won't pretend to watch every Frankfurt game so if theres any Bundesliga fanatics reading this and disagreeing with me feel free to share your opinions.
Does ETH want a real finisher or a guy that creates for others? We have plenty of players who can provide the latter, we lack a player who puts them in the net (besides Rashford). Vlahovic would be a better fit in my eyes, especially if you decide to keep Martial. I think he gets overlooked playing in a dreadful Allegri system. In the end Ten Hag knows better than me, but I still think Vlahovic could become one of the better strikers in Europe again when supported by the players we currently have instead of the dross at Juve.
I doubt most have watched enough of most of these players to really know.
I've seen Osimhen and Vlahovic a good amount of times and like both.
Hojland, Kolo Mauni and Ferguson I feel are those young type of players that most have heard by name and thus think would be a good signing, like Sancho or Antony. But a lot of deep analysis would be needed before we think of signing them - i.e. how they rank for the different skillets a striker should have and then taking into account the variance of both the league and the play style of the team they play for.
Actually João Felix is one - probably one of the most naturally gifted attackers around. A good manager would be able to mould him into something great. If his stock is low and Atletico would sell for around 50m that would be a no brainer for me (and before people reply with no end product - yes, but he played for two crap attacking teams and managed to hit the post quite a few times).
I've seen Osimhen and Vlahovic a good amount of times and like both.
Hojland, Kolo Mauni and Ferguson I feel are those young type of players that most have heard by name and thus think would be a good signing, like Sancho or Antony. But a lot of deep analysis would be needed before we think of signing them - i.e. how they rank for the different skillets a striker should have and then taking into account the variance of both the league and the play style of the team they play for.
Actually João Felix is one - probably one of the most naturally gifted attackers around. A good manager would be able to mould him into something great. If his stock is low and Atletico would sell for around 50m that would be a no brainer for me (and before people reply with no end product - yes, but he played for two crap attacking teams and managed to hit the post quite a few times).
What? Pixi plays them together almost all the time and when he didn't it wasn't strange since Mitrovic was in the absolute best form of his life scoring 8 in 8 on 67 minutes average while Vlahovic was suffering from injuries. Last game against Montenegro they decided to start him over Vlahovic instead of playing them together and Vlahovic immediately bagged two when he was subbed in.
Rooney had a lot more senior football under his belt before Man Utd moved for him. He even shined at a Euros. I really like Ferguson but I do think he needs a little more time before a move. Also Brighton would demand a huge fee.
I just watched the video, and frankly comparisons to Benzema, even a young Benzema are way of the mark.Ideally we would sign someone who is a good scorer (or potentially a good scorer) while being a good link-up player and good off the ball.
Two names jump out from the U-21 age brackets: Evan Ferguson and Rasmus Højlund, doubly so if we can somehow convince Benzema to join United on a 2 year contract. Would be risky signings for obvious reasons (on top of being quite expensive), but they are physically up to scratch (Højlund is more explosive but Ferguson is no slouch himself), evidence a decent eye for goal (which will improve with time), can drop deeper to link with the midfielders or set up the others forwards (like Rashford), are above-average pressers (which is important for a ten Hag team) and so forth. In terms of fundamentals, they have a lot going in the favor; just a matter of refining their qualities and harnessing the full extent of their potential (which will take some time as they're young and learning, but the rewards could be immense — imagine being in possession of a really good center forward in his early 20s...would be a complete luxury, and there would be no more agonizing over the medium term!) Rather take a punt on exciting talents (even though they don't boast top-of-the-line statistics at this stage) than older players who are a bit more predictive but seem rather iffy.
Stuff like this doesn't matter of course, but Brazil Scout published a video on Ferguson, and these comparisons are not entirely off the mark...
He's good but does he have anything special? His touch is a little bit awkward at times in the video, the dribbling is a bit awkward, the passing is good but nothing screams young Rooney like some have mentioned here. He's good for an 18 year old of course but there's no guarantee he'll be anything like Kane or Benzema when he's older. Looking it up Benzema was only 20 when he scored that banger for Lyon against United in the CL in 2007/08.
Scott mctominay
I'd say loan Greenwood to PSV, get benzema on a free and add Jonathan David as reserve. Then we would revisit the problem next year. Kane would probably be free at that point
Rooney was a child genius. One of those rare talents that emerges in British football only a handful of times a century.
Ferguson is a promising youngster but no more than that at the moment. He may become a top striker, he may not, but I would not pay tens of millions for this kid until we've seen a couple of full seasons of PL football from him.
Benzema for one year
Rodrigo from Leeds.
then next year we can either sign Kane for less or Osimhen is more approachable
Rodrigo from Leeds.
then next year we can either sign Kane for less or Osimhen is more approachable
I do like Ferguson but it's hardly comparable. There weren't "tonnes of strikers" better than Rooney at the time for one, he was outstanding.
These are all terrible options.
Oh there were loads of strikers better than young Rooney at Everton. He had world class potential that could not be ignored.
I don’t even think he’ll reach Kane levels but something about this lad just appeals to me.
Yeah you're seriously underrating the level he was at. In terms of available players that summer, he was outstanding. He'd just ripped it up at the Euro's for England, had been a very poor Everton teams top scorer, was comfortably their best player at 18 and had established himself as a scorer of critical goals in that side too. And then he hit the ground running at United too. Ferguson is a great prospect but he's not on Rooney's level and that's fine, very few are at his age.
Damn there’s a real dearth of strikers still.
I don’t think there’s anyone who really stands out. I like Ferguson from Brighton but it’s probably too soon for him. I would have said Toney before the ban
I don’t think there’s anyone who really stands out. I like Ferguson from Brighton but it’s probably too soon for him. I would have said Toney before the ban
This is how I feel too, Ferguson reminds me of a cross between Kane and Rooney and is a man physibzsllu already. I didn’t realise that Ferguson has scored double figures this season which is a fantastic return for his first year of PL football and at 18 years of age in a team.
I think the top tier of strikers are Kane, Osimhen, Lewandowski and Benzema then the next tier would be Muani, Ramos, Vlahovic and Ferguson and I don’t think there’s anything between that second tier other than Ferguson having a year in the PL already so settled at the speed of the game over here.
There's a world of difference between a young Rooney at 18 and Ferguson at the same age.
Rashford as first choice CF. Buy somebody young and cheap like Hojland as second choice CF, with bonus points for the new guy having a completely different playing style.
Garnacho/Sancho at LW.
Antony/Amad at RW.
I think this is the easiest and cheapest way to round out the attacking options in the squad. Despite the scepticism about Rashford at CF, he's done well there whenever he's played up top this season. I know the Transfer Forum is mostly about writing fantasy fan fiction, so this idea won't get much traction. But I stand by it.
Garnacho/Sancho at LW.
Antony/Amad at RW.
I think this is the easiest and cheapest way to round out the attacking options in the squad. Despite the scepticism about Rashford at CF, he's done well there whenever he's played up top this season. I know the Transfer Forum is mostly about writing fantasy fan fiction, so this idea won't get much traction. But I stand by it.
The Rooney at Everton was about potential and that something you can just feel when you watch him. In terms of his ability at the time, there were loads of better proven strikers. This is not under rating and now you’re delving into hindsight here by mentioning how he hit the ground running at Manchester United.
When ever this is brought up the conversation circles to how he performed for United and behave like young Everton Rooney never existed. He existed and he wasn’t one of all the best strikers of the day. If you’re using his display for England that summer? Good on you, I thought it was a step up too soon like many before him. That’s how critical I was at the time. Do you even remember the strikers that were around in the premiership alone and their performance levels/game contributions before looking across Europe.
I was under the impression we should be reporting posts mentioning him. Are we to take it there has been a policy change?
My apologies. The rule completely escaped my mind.
Kolo Muani. I don’t actually think Osimhen is a better player than him anyway.
Its a shame Ivan Toney loved a bet, I would have taken him as a Kane lite option, and feel he would have improved us massively while being half the price of Kane.
Otherwise I'm not sure. I haven't really watched much of the other targets (outside of Ramos in the WC) to make a judgement on them. I really wanted us to go all in on Osimhen since I feel he's the perfect forward for us, but Napoli's chairman is pretty much the Italian Daniel Levy.
Otherwise I'm not sure. I haven't really watched much of the other targets (outside of Ramos in the WC) to make a judgement on them. I really wanted us to go all in on Osimhen since I feel he's the perfect forward for us, but Napoli's chairman is pretty much the Italian Daniel Levy.
Completely agree. Find it weird how genuine world class potential teenagers in other leagues, liek Camavinga a year or two ago "are too young and not ready", yet if they play in the premiership they are.
Rooney was one of the best players at the Euros, not young players, best players, he set the league alight in a poor Everton side, he was obviously a star then. I like Ferguson, but he hasnt even played 20games in the league yet and has a goal every 3games. The "cross between Rooney and Kane" is way ahead of time. For 18 he has done really well and looks like he good become a really good player.....but there isnt that potential superstar quality we have seen from a couple of youngsters here. I think anyway, he reminds me more of Dean Ashton....and that is no bad thing, if it wasnt for his injuries, he could have gone on to become a top top player I feel. But I agree, its too early to moe for him currently, especially when we are probably lookig North of £50m
I think it's got to be Kolo Muani if we're going one player. Hjolund and an experienced european striker on a short term deal if we want to take a gamble on potential.
It wasn't just potential though, although obviously in terms of potential he was as close to a sure thing as you will ever see at that age. He was already an excellent player, his teams best player by a distance and as I said, was a scorer of critical goals for them particularly in the second part of the 03/04 season if I remember correctly that let to them being safe pretty early given how poor they were. That was why he was pretty much nailed on to be a United player before too long several months prior to the Euro's where he obviously really exploded on a world stage. If it was purely just about potential he wouldn't have been put straight into our team as soon as he was fit, that's not hindsight that's just the reality of it. Another factor of why we would look at him was how his game was all about dropping into spaces and driving forward, a perfect foil on paper for Van Nistelrooy who was very clearly our focal point at the time and not a player we would have been looking to replace.
In terms of other more proven strikers around at this time, we'd just signed a couple in Louis Saha and Alan Smith hadn't we? So with Saha and RVN at the club we wouldn't have been looking for a pure number 9, which would've ruled out the majority of the younger goalscorers in the league like Yakubu, Robbie Keane and Defoe; all of whom were older than Rooney with considerably less facets to their game anyway. Henry was obviously the best around at dropping into spaces particularly out wide but we were never getting him away from Arsenal, similar with Owen at Liverpool. I'm struggling to think of many other attackers under 30 in the league at that time that could find those spaces to drive forward as well as Rooney could in fairness. Rooney was very raw but he was outstanding, as much as I like Ferguson he shouldn't be in the same conversation.
Let's hear your marvellous suggestions
R Hojlund £55m and M Thuram Free would be a decent solution and we could go after Kane in January or summer 24.
I think we have to pay what it takes for Kane.
Yes but he has to force the move because we know what a nightmare Levy is to deal with. I know you will probably bring up Carrick and Berbatov but they didn't have status of Kane
Interesting suggestion
How about Marcos Leonardo from Santos? Alongside a second, more experienced option like Thuram (Assuming Martial leaves).
Looks a top young player, scoring well, a couple of years experience under his belt now too. He was linked to us a while back I think.
Gouiri & David in France would also be worth looking at. Really depends on what style of forward ETH is fancying.
Looks a top young player, scoring well, a couple of years experience under his belt now too. He was linked to us a while back I think.
Gouiri & David in France would also be worth looking at. Really depends on what style of forward ETH is fancying.
Put agent Cas to work
Lautaro Martinez. Probably not a genuine option as inter would bleed us dry but if we could somehow get a reasonable price.
I thought so too... and then I watched him. He's a slow Lukaku. Do not want.
I think we agree on a lot of things about Rooney and I’m not putting them on the same scale. Rooney happens to be the only British(Irish) we’ve invested in recently who is gone on to do great things, by default he is the reference point for any perceived homegrown talent. Just like Messi now or Maradona before him for Argentines, Gazza to Joe Cole, Rooney,etc. So if we sign a prodigious Ferguson or interested in him as a forward, our reference as fans to justify such a deal becomes Rooney.
Whether you think Ferguson is a prodigy or not and whether he is better developing in our environment or Brighton, it’s centred on a personal opinion. I believe he should be nabbed now and trained by ETH because he has tools that will make him an outstanding striker for us if developed right.
I disagree on during his time at Everton Rooney was raw and needed refining. This you already acknowledged and I don’t think that raw unrefined Rooney was better than most strikers already a staple at the top level. What you’re doing is not dissimilar to when people compare Sancho to Garnacho forgetting they are judged by different metrics and the things we over look for Garnacho, Sancho or Antony can never get away with. He was a brilliant talent for his age and experience, that’s where it stops and let’s not elevate it to the levels he grew into at United. I think you might not be remembering the strikers around at the time and their performances.
Having seen limited amounts of some of these strikers, I'd be inclined towards Ramos personally. His actual rate of returns this season is just much more promising than that of any of the other options I think are realistic.
Vlahovic being the one I'm most against. Unlike some of the others, I've seen enough of him to know he isn't good enough, even though that wouldn't prevent him costing a lot of money.
Vlahovic being the one I'm most against. Unlike some of the others, I've seen enough of him to know he isn't good enough, even though that wouldn't prevent him costing a lot of money.
He's definitely Irish, you know. I know the IFA has gotten a bit creative with things in the past but Evan Ferguson is from County Meath.
Nice. I'd be satisfied with this Benz - Rodrigo scenario. Although Benz might be reluctant to accept 1 year contract.