Potential striker signings (who aren't named Højlund)

Redcy said:
What about Greenwoods forays into CF suggest he is anything like a Haaland? Whenever you watch him he isnt even in the box, wherever his talents may be best served I cant see him as a CF, likes to drive into the box, but when he is expected to play inside the box he looks completely lost.
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Currently Greenwood is more of a second striker, somewhat like Griezmann. He's not only comfortable with the ball at feet but like Martial, appears to prefer passes played to him that way. And hence he doesn't make runs in behind, which is an issue if you're playing up top. At the same time he has a lot of work to do when it comes to playing his back to goal. I wouldn't say that part of his game is anything close to Martial, for example. Instead, he likes picking the ball in pockets of space, turning and then passing or shooting. Like Messi, Griezmann, Felix etc

So it's a bit of a conundrum as he's obviously an incredible talent. His intelligence on the ball, technical gifts, balance and shooting (phenomenal) are all of a high level. But we need to be careful with a player like him whose game is currently built for a specific role and needs to be developed to expand in scope.

For me, I think developing him as a second striker is too restrictive for the team. It makes it difficult to play wide forwards for example. So I'd rather see Greenwood developed over the next 2-3 years to work on his CF play as he didn't have the pace for a winger and that isn't changing. If it's simply not possible then he'll be a second striker/RW who plays narrow.
 
Redcy said:
What about Greenwoods forays into CF suggest he is anything like a Haaland? Whenever you watch him he isnt even in the box, wherever his talents may be best served I cant see him as a CF, likes to drive into the box, but when he is expected to play inside the box he looks completely lost.
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Might be he/coaches knows he doesnt have the physicality for it yet, and would be easily brushed aside by defenders, and therefore stays where he can make an impact in another way?
 
Greenwoods very clever at making runs in behind, unreal people saying he can't do it.

Watch more games.
 
Sassy Colin said:
Seen Icardi mentioned.
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Icardi is the last striker I’d sign as he’s the most overrated striker of the past decade, meant to be really hard work to deal with and his wife is the female Raiola from what I’ve heard.

Rocknrolla69er said:
Greenwoods very clever at making runs in behind, unreal people saying he can't do it.

Watch more games.
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Exactly, I think the problem is that when Greenwood plays centrally now it’s in meaningless games so Fernandes isn’t playing and no one tries to play in behind so Greenwood doesn’t make those runs but I saw a lot of those runs in the under 23’s and under 18’s which is why he will become a central striker and it’s more about Ole wanting to give him game time so plays him wide right due to us not having anyone there and also his build.
 
davidmichael said:
Icardi is the last striker I’d sign as he’s the most overrated striker of the past decade, meant to be really hard work to deal with and his wife is the female Raiola from what I’ve heard.



Exactly, I think the problem is that when Greenwood plays centrally now it’s in meaningless games so Fernandes isn’t playing and no one tries to play in behind so Greenwood doesn’t make those runs but I saw a lot of those runs in the under 23’s and under 18’s which is why he will become a central striker and it’s more about Ole wanting to give him game time so plays him wide right due to us not having anyone there and also his build.
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People need to watch him off the ball more, when he plays in the striking role. As you've pointed out when Bruno plays behind him he tends to make more of those runs behind knowing the service is there, I think if we also played him centrally. With Bruno AND another cm with better vision than Mcfred (a Carrick for example) you'd see further evidence of how good his movement actually is.

Fact of it is he's not currently getting huge game time as a striker, I'm kinda hoping we move Martial on and Sign somebody like Andre Silva (Cavani if he stays)and Sancho (hoping abit) so Greenwood can come away from the RW role and share a lot of minutes as striker with another.
 
beingshe7don said:
Would anyone consider getting Joao Felix and play him as a false 9? That could work with Rashford operating as a LF and have greenwood as a RF considering neither can actually play as an out-and-out striker.
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I love to watch him play, so elegant and a surprisingly good finisher. But I think like Greenwood this season, struggles to impose himself and influence the game. He has 1 goals in his last 7 matches, he doesnt score remotely enough and this for a second season in a row. Could be ideal for Liverpool though, to replace Firmino.
 
Rocknrolla69er said:
Greenwoods very clever at making runs in behind, unreal people saying he can't do it.

Watch more games.
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I don't think he is, well he seems to receive the passes less than Rashford and even James. Let alone when you watch players like Haaland and Mbappe, I am rarely impressed by his off the ball movement. No stats to back it up.
 
Man of the match for me, got himself into some good goal scoring positions unlucky not get another with the one off the post.
 
I’d likely ignore Haaland, because the demands I imagine are unreasonable. We maybe do have a role there to push that transfer price and wages up though.

I’d seriously enquire about Kane.

But, I think Ings would be a smart, affordable pickup.
 
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I see Daka has been mentioned in the past, I haven't the foggiest what type of player he is and how he would fit in to our team?!
 
Given the grief Martial gets and (one of the reasons) why, think Ings would be very popular once we saw him closer up.
 
Ings would be a bit part player, nothing more. I wouldn’t get him, Haaland way too pricey and that fat agent of his will leash us for all we have got. Go get Kane or Martinez of Inter.
 
davidmichael said:
Icardi is the last striker I’d sign as he’s the most overrated striker of the past decade, meant to be really hard work to deal with and his wife is the female Raiola from what I’ve heard.



Exactly, I think the problem is that when Greenwood plays centrally now it’s in meaningless games so Fernandes isn’t playing and no one tries to play in behind so Greenwood doesn’t make those runs but I saw a lot of those runs in the under 23’s and under 18’s which is why he will become a central striker and it’s more about Ole wanting to give him game time so plays him wide right due to us not having anyone there and also his build.
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A lot of those runs in his youth career again came from the inside forward role, not as a central striker. Hopefully I am wrong, but I just see nothing about Greenwoods game thats say he is a striker or CF, again last night he spent most of his time coming in from outside the box. Has bucket loads of talent, but if I am being truthful I don't know that if you reach 20 and don't have that instinct to always be in and around the box you will find that easy to change. If you were to say he could become a more Henry like player then yes I could see that, but that doesn't really suit with the way we play a central striker in the current game/formation.
 
Surprised nobody mentioned Muriel in this thread. Not the best profile age wise but has been banging them in for a couple of years now.
 
Ings would be a decent signing
 
Macedonian Red said:
Keep an eye on Dusan Vlahovic from Fiorentina. He has Haaland style of play. Only 21 yo.
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I saw a bit of Vlahovic for Serbia in the international break and he looked good, not that you want to read too much into that. I doubt we will end up going big on a striker in the summer so he could be an option to explore if we need to get creative.

As you say he is still very young. I think we'd all like the next striker coming in to be somebody who can nail down the starting spot as their own though and that would probably come a bit soon for a player of his age.
 
2 man midfield said:
Has to be Haaland or Kane doesn’t it. They’re literally the only halfway available top class strikers going. After that you’re looking at unproven, second tier players.
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Yes I agree with you here, they are the best half available strikers.

I honestly believe that even if we offer higher wages than Man City offer to Haaland. He will go to City. They are made for each other.

Kane will be 28 in July, so if we do sign him we'll not have to wait long before he's in his 30s and beginning to decline.

I'd look elsewhere to save money for all the other holes in our squad & hopefully find a cheaper striker from somewhere.
 
Lemon Moon said:
Yes I agree with you here, they are the best half available strikers.

I honestly believe that even if we offer higher wages than Man City offer to Haaland. He will go to City. They are made for each other.

Kane will be 28 in July, so if we do sign him we'll not have to wait long before he's in his 30s and beginning to decline.

I'd look elsewhere to save money for all the other holes in our squad & hopefully find a cheaper striker from somewhere.
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Yeah to be honest if Haaland does go elsewhere I wouldn’t be averse to us just taking a punt on someone like Ings and saving the marquee money for somewhere else that needs it.
 
Wout Weghorst is a striker that has been consistently scoring 18 plus goals for the last 5 seasons and he is as good as an aerial threat as you can get at 1.97m. He would complement our striker options well imo. and should be cheaper then the English nominations like Ings or DCL.
 
Gaich looks to be settling into European football well. Big bastard of a striker too. Scored the winner against Juve by intercepting a wayward pass in defence and holding off the defender (albeit Danilo) to finish it well.
 
If we can't get Haaland, I'd put all faith in Mason and let him be our striker. His finishing is absoloutely lethal, he plays out wide every game which isn't his strength at all, it's not a big surprise that he's not been that productive this season. I'd love Kane but it seems like he'd cost £150m+ and I just can't see us paying that with his age.
 
Kane would be the likely target, can't really think of anyone else tbh, the rest would be either younger players or gambling on some guys who done decent like Jovic/Andre Silva thats about it.
 
Haaland is going Barca, Real or City. Kane is only an option if City get Haaland and we only want to sign one player for a window or two.
Anyone mentioned Aubameyang? Seems unhappy at Arsenal and could be available at a decent-ish price. Could still get a good few years out of him and gradually mould Greenwood as his long term replacement.
However, if we sign Cavani for another year, I’d like to see us strengthen elsewhere first. We’d get a lot more out of him if we had a natural winger. Someone like Traore or Saint-Maximin. Or both! The latter would be available for 20-30mil if Newcastle go down.
 
Lanesy said:
Haaland is going Barca, Real or City. Kane is only an option if City get Haaland and we only want to sign one player for a window or two.
Anyone mentioned Aubameyang? Seems unhappy at Arsenal and could be available at a decent-ish price. Could still get a good few years out of him and gradually mould Greenwood as his long term replacement.
However, if we sign Cavani for another year, I’d like to see us strengthen elsewhere first. We’d get a lot more out of him if we had a natural winger. Someone like Traore or Saint-Maximin. Or both! The latter would be available for 20-30mil if Newcastle go down.
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Wouldn't go near Auba, he has been poor recently and I never feel confident that a player who has performed poorly elsewhere in the PL can turn their fortunes around at United. If anything it is the other way round. Same with the poster suggesting Werner.

20-30m for Saint Maximin would be great business though, really rate him. Cant see him being available for that money though.
 
Cassidy said:
Ings would be a decent signing
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Indeed but I doubt what Ole thinks after saying he won't go near anyone who's played for a fierce rival.

Ings is also a bit of a sick note though, last season being an exception.
 
Wednesday at Stoke said:
Indeed but I doubt what Ole thinks after saying he won't go near anyone who's played for a fierce rival.

Ings is also a bit of a sick note though, last season being an exception.
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Ings is not Aguero in terms of his impact with one of our rivals and that’s what Ole seemed to be referencing. Ings would be decent if at the right price and if it’s the club’s intention to address a few more positions.
 
Given the lack of clear options, I think we shoudl focus elsewhere instead of buying for the sake of it. It's not ideal, and shows this Murtough guy clearly isn't fit to do his job because we STILL haven't replaced Lukaku, but we should sort RWF this summer if we can, and re-evaluate this time next year.

The last thing we need is an(other) expensive panic buy.

Greenwood will continue to develop, Martial can't be this bad again and Rashford can always get a few games through the middle at a push.
 
Beachryan said:
Given the lack of clear options, I think we shoudl focus elsewhere instead of buying for the sake of it. It's not ideal, and shows this Murtough guy clearly isn't fit to do his job because we STILL haven't replaced Lukaku, but we should sort RWF this summer if we can, and re-evaluate this time next year.

The last thing we need is an(other) expensive panic buy.

Greenwood will continue to develop, Martial can't be this bad again and Rashford can always get a few games through the middle at a push.
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RW, CB or CDM would be ideal this summer. Probably won’t get all 3 but addressing 2 would go a long way. It’s been an endless cycle since Fergie retired of what’s needed in the squad. It would be nice having a settled starting 11.
 
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