As the great Sir Alex Ferguson once stated, ‘attack wins you games, defence wins you titles’. For where Manchester United are right now, titles are a pipe dream – they simply need to get winning.
For momentum to be built then under the new Ruben Amorim regime, the Portuguese coach needs to be handed the appropriate attacking tools, having inherited a youthful and inconsistent forward line upon his arrival late last year.
As it stands, the Red Devils’ top scorer in all competitions is Bruno Fernandes, with 16 goals. The Portuguese playmaker – who has been operated in a deep-lying role under Amorim – also leads the way in the Premier League for United, with eight goals on that front.
The 30-year-old skipper also ended last season as the club’s top scorer in the top flight, alongside Rasmus Hojlund, with just ten league goals. Not since United’s last title-winning campaign – where Robin van Persie fired in 26 times – has a player reached the 20-goal mark in the league at Old Trafford.
Season
Player
Goals
2024/25*
Bruno Fernandes
8
2023/24
Bruno Fernandes & Rasmus Hojlund
10
2022/23
Marcus Rashford
17
2021/22
Cristiano Ronaldo
18
2020/21
Bruno Fernandes
18
2019/20
Marcus Rashford & Anthony Martial
17
2018/19
Paul Pogba
13
2017/18
Romelu Lukaku
16
2016/17
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
17
2015/16
Anthony Martial
11
2014/15
Wayne Rooney
12
2013/14
Wayne Rooney
17
2012/13
Robin van Persie
26
Therein lies the crux of the problem, and with Hojlund and summer signing Joshua Zirkzee scoring just 14 goals between them in all competitions in 2024/25 to date, a new centre-forward must surely be a priority ahead of next season…
Latest on Man Utd's search for striker
The decision to splash out on £64m man Hojlund and £36.5m man Zirkzee had seemingly been with an eye on looking to the future, with the club having abandoned the previous approach of short-term, veteran signings.
Indeed, United had acquired a raft of temporary solutions in the form of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Edinson Cavani, Cristiano Ronaldo, Odion Ighalo and Wout Weghorst – only a then 24-year-old Romelu Lukaku seemingly bucks the trend in the post-Ferguson era.
With that in mind, the time has come for the Red Devils to finally acquire a centre-forward at the peak of their powers, having seemingly opted against moving for Erik ten Hag’s first-choice target, Harry Kane, back in the summer of 2023.
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According to Sky Sports reporter Sacha Tavolieri, that lengthy wait could well be coming to an end, with United having been handed an opening to sign Napoli sensation, Victor Osimhen.
As per Tavolieri, the Nigerian marksman – who is currently on loan at Galatasaray – has been put on the market by the Serie A side, ahead of the summer, with the Red Devils said to have followed the 26-year-old ‘closely’ across ‘several seasons’.
The report states that the Old Trafford side could ‘take advantage’ of this opportunity to finally pounce, with Osimhen perhaps representing the answer to Amorim’s prayers.
How United could sign their next Ruud van Nistelrooy
With Lukaku only lasting two seasons – and with Robin van Persie failing to maintain his prolific first-term form – it could be argued that United haven’t had a truly reliable or consistent number nine since the days of Ruud van Nistelrooy. Indeed, Dimitar Berbatov was never truly the main man, excluding a Golden Boot-winning 2010/11 season.
As for Van Nistlerooy, the prolific Dutchman was an instant hit following his belated arrival to Ferguson’s ranks in 2001, with both parties having been made to wait after the then-PSV Eindhoven star had seen an initial move collapse a year earlier, due to an ACL injury.
The £19m man – who was 25 by the time he made his Premier League debut against Fulham – shook off any injury fears by going on to score 150 goals in just 219 games for the club in all competitions, including 95 goals in just 150 top-flight outings.
United had signed a player entering his prime who had proven himself already in Holland, with 77 goals in 90 games for PSV, with the same scenario potentially set to occur with regard to Osimhen.
Like Van Nistelrooy, the in-demand striker has had injury concerns in the past, although those should certainly not hold United back from making a move, not least when he has scored 26 goals in 30 games in Turkey this term.
In 253 career games, the one-time Lille man has already scored 140 times at senior level, again emulating Van Nistelrooy in representing a proven, ready-made centre-forward option. Like with the Netherlands star, his lack of prior Premier League experience should not be too much of a concern.
At 26, Osimhen – who is only slightly older than the current Leicester City boss was when he made the move of his own – would represent both a player for the present and the future. A player with room still left to grow, yet while having already delivered elsewhere on a consistent basis.
Much like the then-British-record capture of Van Nistelrooy, it would take a pretty penny to prise Osimhen from Naples, considering his £62m release clause, although for arguably the “best striker on the market” – as per Statman Dave – he’d certainly be worth the investment.
Indeed, at a time when United can no longer wait for the likes of Hojlund, Zirkzee or even young Chido Obi to find their feet, Osimhen could finally be the striker to come in and hit the ground running – just as ‘Ruud’ did all those years ago.
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