Striker options?

[croadyman]

Yeah at the figures being mentioned (around £18-20m) absolutely no way should we be signing Wilson. At a more fair and modest fee at let’s say £8m I’d be down for it.

But I’d also look to sign Zirkzee who can also provide ST depth and can probs play a role anywhere across the front 4 if needed too.

Be very surprised if we wanted to sign both

 

[devilish]

Yeah at the figures being mentioned (around £18-20m) absolutely no way should we be signing Wilson. At a more fair and modest fee at let’s say £8m I’d be down for it.

But I’d also look to sign Zirkzee who can also provide ST depth and can probs play a role anywhere across the front 4 if needed too.

A few days ago I got entangled into an argument were I compared ole to saha in terms of them being very effective squad players. Some took it badly but I genuinely rated saha as a top top striker. After all he was able to push the most lethal striker I've ever seen in a United shirt out of the first team. Saha when fit was second only to Henry and a more complete striker (overall to Ole and even Cole). Ole was a better finisher of course

Yet the most crucial phrase here is when fit. Availability is crucial in football and having a player whose constantly injured is pretty much useless. Callum is a decent forward but he's injury prone. He's also at the wrong end of his career which means that injuries will get more frequent and the time of recovery will get longer.

United won't win the EPL in the next 2-3 years. By that time we would need to replace a horde of players including varane, Maguire, casemiro, eriksen, Bruno etc. That would cost a fortune. Let's not add another striker to the mix

 

[croadyman]

A few days ago I got entangled into an argument were I compared ole to saha in terms of them being very effective squad players. Some took it badly but I genuinely rated saha as a top top striker. After all he was able to push the most lethal striker I've ever seen in a United shirt out of the first team. Saha when fit was second only to Henry and a more complete striker (overall to Ole and even Cole). Ole was a better finisher of course

Yet the most crucial phrase here is when fit. Availability is crucial in football and having a player whose constantly injured is pretty much useless. Callum is a decent forward but he's injury prone. He's also at the wrong end of his career which means that injuries will get more frequent and the time of recovery will get longer.

United won't win the EPL in the next 2-3 years. By that time we would need to replace a horde of players including varane, Maguire, casemiro, eriksen, Bruno etc. That would cost a fortune. Let's not add another striker to the mix

Yeah Wilson's injury record is the problem,IF he could stay fit then think £18m is bargain but can't

 

[Borninthe80ts]

A player that I remember seeing for the first time and thinking, ok there’s something here is Sekou Mara from Southampton.
I just saw some FA cup highlights from their win at Watford and he was impressive. Coincidentally he does have some traits of a player mentioned in this thread, Saha for me. He can move into the channels, he is very good with the ball at his feet and appears to be 2 footed enough to play both sides wide.
He also scores a variety of goals even if not prolific at the minute. His stats appear to be about 1 goal in 5 however I think those numbers come from wide areas too.
Has anyone else seen him play much? Would he add to what we already have or would it be more of the same?
I’m looking at this profile of striker as an alternative to Hojlund.

 

[NoPace]

A player that I remember seeing for the first time and thinking, ok there’s something here is Sekou Mara from Southampton.
I just saw some FA cup highlights from their win at Watford and he was impressive. Coincidentally he does have some traits of a player mentioned in this thread, Saha for me. He can move into the channels, he is very good with the ball at his feet and appears to be 2 footed enough to play both sides wide.
He also scores a variety of goals even if not prolific at the minute. His stats appear to be about 1 goal in 5 however I think those numbers come from wide areas too.
Has anyone else seen him play much? Would he add to what we already have or would it be more of the same?
I’m looking at this profile of striker as an alternative to Hojlund.

What I recall from in the Prem was that he was good at dropping deep and receiving passes and bringing his teammates into play but probably not physically special (strength, speed) enough to play as a lone #9 on a top team, but he was also like 19.

 

[Borninthe80ts]

What I recall from in the Prem was that he was good at dropping deep and receiving passes and bringing his teammates into play but probably not physically special (strength, speed) enough to play as a lone #9 on a top team, but he was also like 19.

Yeah he seems to be able to link up and initiate attacks in the final third both wide and centrally. I’d agree he is more Martial than Hojlund physically but I think he seems to be quick when beating a man if not having high top end pace.
I’d really like us to aim for a mix of attackers and a player of his profile or that of Orban would give us variety in attack. Especially of the bench against tired legs.

 

[daba]

Anyone seen much of Evanilson at Porto?

We were linked with him a year or so ago but I think he picked up an injury for a longish period. Seems to be back firing on all cylinders this year, racking up 19 goals in 26 across all comps.



If we could get him at a reasonable fee he could be a great option to rotate with Rasmus.

 

[gajender]

Anyone seen much of Evanilson at Porto?

We were linked with him a year or so ago but I think he picked up an injury for a longish period. Seems to be back firing on all cylinders this year, racking up 19 goals in 26 across all comps.



If we could get him at a reasonable fee he could be a great option to rotate with Rasmus.

What would you consider reasonable outlay for another striker factoring in all the other areas which United need to strengthen .

 

[ash_86]

 

[Hernandez - BFA]

Type of striker who could play alongside Hojlund. A chronic choker for Argentina, but his club stats are fantastic.

 

[gajender]

Type of striker who could play alongside Hojlund. A chronic choker for Argentina, but his club stats are fantastic.

Would also cost more or less circa 100 m , I'll take this rumour with pinch of salt .

 

[GledTheRed]

Anyone seen much of Evanilson at Porto?

We were linked with him a year or so ago but I think he picked up an injury for a longish period. Seems to be back firing on all cylinders this year, racking up 19 goals in 26 across all comps.



If we could get him at a reasonable fee he could be a great option to rotate with Rasmus.

Would be a really smart purchase, looks a quality player.

 

[daba]

What would you consider reasonable outlay for another striker factoring in all the other areas which United need to strengthen .

Very difficult to say without a known budget to work with but assuming we’re spending £250m in the summer, I’d say max £40m/€50m should be on a striker.

Whether we could get Evanilson for that I’m not sure, but Porto aren’t in a great state financially so perhaps we can exploit that.

 

[tomaldinho1]

Type of striker who could play alongside Hojlund. A chronic choker for Argentina, but his club stats are fantastic.

I'm not sure this is true, he was good for their copa win. By the Argentina national team logic, Messi was a 'chronic choker' for yonks.

Very good player, unsure how he'd fit into the current team and if we have more pressing needs elsewhere but he is the right calibre/age for a bigger fee signing.

 

[Nep77]

Matheus Cunha could be interesting and can cover multiple position too.

 

[tomaldinho1]

Matheus Cunha could be interesting and can cover multiple position too.

Yeah I really like him. Would think him LW would really push Rashford to either sort himself out or leave.

 

[croadyman]

The epitome of a garbage source,suggests to me there is absolutely zero interest in him

 

[Sea-Cow]

Matheus Cunha could be interesting and can cover multiple position too.

I have been impressed by Hwang Hee-Chan from Wolves, more so than Cunha, despite the later's recent goalscoring form.

I am not saying we should definitely be looking to sign him, but at 28 I think he could be a cheap alternative that could add some quality depth at striker. Hwang looks super athletic and can lead the line really well, and he has a similar profile to Rasmus I think, in playing style and build etc, so it could be a good backup to give Rasmus a rest every now and then.

Edit to add that if we are looking to Wolves however we should be chucking money at them for Neto. It won't happen obviously but if it were Football Manager a summer swap of Sanch and Antony for Pedro Neto would be incredible.

 

[daba]

I have been impressed by Hwang Hee-Chan from Wolves, more so than Cunha, despite the later's recent goalscoring form.

I am not saying we should definitely be looking to sign him, but at 28 I think he could be a cheap alternative that could add some quality depth at striker. Hwang looks super athletic and can lead the line really well, and he has a similar profile to Rasmus I think, in playing style and build etc, so it could be a good backup to give Rasmus a rest every now and then.

Edit to add that if we are looking to Wolves however we should be chucking money at them for Neto. It won't happen obviously but if it were Football Manager a summer swap of Sanch and Antony for Pedro Neto would be incredible.

Hwang signed a new contract in December

 

[Sea-Cow]

Hwang signed a new contract in December

Well, that definitely would make things more difficult. Everything else I said still stands!

 

[SWE-Chucky]

Lautaro Martínez seems to be very happy with Inter and even if he would move, there is no chance they would sell him for less then around 120-150m euros. And this summer, with Mbappe moving from PSG, probably to Real Madrid, it means that will be a lot of strikers moving since PSG will need to make some huge signings to not have their whole project collapse this summer already after loosing Messi, Neymar and now Mbappe. Their attraction power will change dramatically now that more money, and probably even soon a better league, is to be found in Saudi if you just want to play for the money.

PSG will need to make a BIG decision now that Mbappe leaves. They have invested so much money in their biggest signings and not got anything in return when they left. They have also signed so many players, for huge fees, on big contracts, and not reached near the goals they had 3-5 years ago when they invested like 400m euros in only Neymar and Mbappe - then Messis sign on bonus and contract. And now, there is nothing left out of it. So either they decide to give up the biggest dreams they had like the CL and cut down their spending with like 50-60% and be happy to win the league every year - or they go all in on players like Martinez, Osimhen etc etc.

To be honest this is the first time I have been thinking about how this will affect their project. Anyone else having any thought about it? Do you guys believe that the PSG/Quatar project is finished? If not, how can they keep it? Which players to they need to sign to get back to the glory day when Messi signed and 90% had them winning CL the same year. I mean, at least on paper, they had a trupp full of stars with Messi, Neymar, Mbappe, Donnarumma, Ramos, Marquinos, Hakimi and so on.

 

[Nicoseth]

What about Cameron Archer at Luton? Only 22, has done well in a struggling team this year - fast, strong and can finish.

 

[daba]

Well, that definitely would make things more difficult. Everything else I said still stands!

I agree, would have been a really good option as a back-up. Obviously I’m bias, but I’m surprised he signed a contract given he could have pushed for a bigger club in the summer given his form.

 

[Rolaholic]

 

[Lash]

They'd be mad to let him go, but I'd be very much up for this signing.

 

[Greyfog]

Khadija Shaw? Pure quality

 

[R0nald0]

I like the idea of Jonathan David. Young, last year of contract (in the summer) and can play out wide so can get enough games

 

[Rolaholic]

I like the idea of Jonathan David. Young, last year of contract (in the summer) and can play out wide so can get enough games

 

[NoPace]

I like the idea of Jonathan David. Young, last year of contract (in the summer) and can play out wide so can get enough games

Watch him for Canada a lot, I don't think he's shifty enough to play wide, but he does a lot well. Not perfectly suited to be a lone striker as he's not a target man type who can hold it up against 2 big CBs, but he's unselfish, extremely consistent, good defensively and links play then gets into the box to finish off moves. He doesn't wow you with his skills normally, but he's a useful player. More common type of forward in the 90s when teams play 3-5-2 more and being a very good all-around footballer who can score goals was

For him, the best move would be to go somewhere they play 2 up front I think, or at like Spurs or Brighton since Postecoglu doesn't ask his forwards to be battering rams and Brighton I think he'd do very nicely off of Ferguson playing as sort of a #10/2nd striker.

 

[croadyman]

Watch him for Canada a lot, I don't think he's shifty enough to play wide, but he does a lot well. Not perfectly suited to be a lone striker as he's not a target man type who can hold it up against 2 big CBs, but he's unselfish, extremely consistent, good defensively and links play then gets into the box to finish off moves. He doesn't wow you with his skills normally, but he's a useful player. More common type of forward in the 90s when teams play 3-5-2 more and being a very good all-around footballer who can score goals was

For him, the best move would be to go somewhere they play 2 up front I think, or at like Spurs or Brighton since Postecoglu doesn't ask his forwards to be battering rams and Brighton I think he'd do very nicely off of Ferguson playing as sort of a #10/2nd striker.

So what sort of striker do you think would fit our system best with Rasmus?

 

[NoPace]

So what sort of striker do you think would fit our system best with Rasmus?

I don't think we need a striker who can play with Hojlund, really. If we're chasing a game we would need to either play Bruno in a 2 man midfield to play 2 strikers, which seems a bit insane, and besides we're probably not going to get a backup striker who is better than Bruno going forward. The alternative is to go 3 at the back or I guess use Bruno out wide. But in any case I think it's a minor consideration.

What we need is a #9 who can play up top alone like Hojlund does and hold up the ball and score goals when Hojlund isn't available or needs a rest.

David would be more like a Martial type (post-injuries, not when he was electric) but who is healthy and actually wants to get into the box and score from cutbacks to finish off moves and is similarly good at linking play on the ground and similarly not so strong in the air and probably a bit better defensively though Martial has generally looked decent though not special in that regard.

 

[croadyman]

I don't think we need a striker who can play with Hojlund, really. If we're chasing a game we would need to either play Bruno in a 2 man midfield to play 2 strikers, which seems a bit insane, and besides we're probably not going to get a backup striker who is better than Bruno going forward. The alternative is to go 3 at the back or I guess use Bruno out wide. But in any case I think it's a minor consideration.

What we need is a #9 who can play up top alone like Hojlund does and hold up the ball and score goals when Hojlund isn't available or needs a rest.

David would be more like a Martial type (post-injuries, not when he was electric) but who is healthy and actually wants to get into the box and score from cutbacks to finish off moves and is similarly good at linking play on the ground and similarly not so strong in the air and probably a bit better defensively though Martial has generally looked decent though not special in that regard.

What about this Zirkzee or Guirassy?

 

[JohnyBuckets]

Taking into account how well Hojlund has developed and his untapped potential; also the number of areas we need to prioritize other than stricker… what about Danny welbeck? He can come in for a couple of years, sub in for Hojlund when he is tired and press like he has always done… shouldn’t be expensive as Brighton have Ferguson and joao pedro.
offcourse I would prefer a 80mil sticker like people keep suggesting, but ee have to be realistic that any stricker we buy will come in knowing he is backup.

 

[Wing Attack Plan R]

Why not go for a proven Premier League quality striker like Ollie Watkins (13 goals, 14 assists in the league so far this season), or Dominic Solanke (14 goals, 3 assists)? Watkins is 28, Solanke is 26. Whenever we bring in a player from a league that has a very different pace (and maybe lower skill level), it's a worry. How long to spin up, how long to acclimate how long etc.

 

[NoPace]

What about this Zirkzee or Guirassy?

I've seen 45 minutes of Guirassy so no opinion, but his profile of slightly late bloomer with a cheap reserve clause who might be happy as a backup here makes sense.

Zirkzee haven't seen a ton of either, but looks even better at linking play on the ground as a sort of false 9 type than David or Martial and I like that he's 6'4, as maybe he'll get stronger in his mid-late 20s and just be a beast overall,, but again I don't know if he's cut out to bully CBs up front and I sort of think that makes more sense for us and we shouldn't compromise on physicality or goal threat, though if Bruno only has a year or 2 left than a backup #9 who can create for others makes some sense.

Off of profile, I'd prefer Guirassy, but I have no idea if Zirkzee is trending towards stardom or not and how expensive he is, which is really the question.

I think we've been lucky to have Hojlund mostly healthy, if he had gotten hurt I think we'd have 10 less points or so and be where Chelsea are. We definitely need someone who can play up top and do something when he's not available, or give him an odd rest or come on with 15 minutes to go when Hojlund is exhausted. Zirkzee looks a good option for coming on and playing on the counter or if we can control games more and either Rashford stays and we have a couple goal-scorers out wide for him to be a Firmino type for, or if Rashford goes and we can somehow find a goalscorer on the right (or left if Garnacho stays out right).

 

[NoPace]

Why not go for a proven Premier League quality striker like Ollie Watkins (13 goals, 14 assists in the league so far this season), or Dominic Solanke (14 goals, 3 assists)? Watkins is 28, Solanke is 26. Whenever we bring in a player from a league that has a very different pace (and maybe lower skill level), it's a worry. How long to spin up, how long to acclimate how long etc.

I think Watkins would cost a ton and Solanke too. Solanke signed a contract extension sadly, or he'd make perfect sense as 2nd choice here.

In terms of contract expirings, Calvert-Lewin only has one year left so if they go down he'd make sense if they aren't charging too much, but I don't see us adding a guy who's injured as often as he is.

 

[Cassidy]

Why not go for a proven Premier League quality striker like Ollie Watkins (13 goals, 14 assists in the league so far this season), or Dominic Solanke (14 goals, 3 assists)? Watkins is 28, Solanke is 26. Whenever we bring in a player from a league that has a very different pace (and maybe lower skill level), it's a worry. How long to spin up, how long to acclimate how long etc.

Because he would cost close to 100m

 

[Wing Attack Plan R]

Because he would cost close to 100m

Because he's worth it.

 

[Lash]

Because he's worth it.

I like Watkins, but absolutely no chance.

 

[Wrecking ralf]

Wonder what Laturo Martinez would cost us. Be a very good signing for us I think. Plenty of experience and bangs the goals in. Be a good foil for Hojlund.