Will Man United look for another striker?
Manchester United have elicited mixed feelings from their support this season. They have been fairly solid with results but have been lacking the attractive, attacking football that the fans are used to.
Their defensive record has been fairly commendable, but without a serious threat in attack can they really hope to challenge for the title?
After the summer transfer window, a lot of United fans were left dumbfounded about what had happened. The club shipped out two recognised world-class strikers and brought in a young, unfinished product for a ridiculous amount of cash.
To be fair, Robin van Persie and Radamel Falcao hadn’t looked as hot as they once were, but to replace the two of them with Anthony Martial seemed a bold move to say the least. After a promising start, the goals have dried up, and, as such, 32Red and Unibet have the young Frenchman at 100/1 to win the golden boot at the end of the season.
Another striker who was sold in the summer was Javier Hernandez. Under Sir Alex Ferguson he had been fairly productive and looked to have a bright future ahead of him. Louis van Gaal thought otherwise and got rid of him. The Mexican marksman is now loving life at Bayer Leverkusen and is scoring loads of goals.
Hopes had been pinned on the shoulders of Wayne Rooney to have a highly prolific season like he would have had in his heyday. But it is clear now that the England forward is well past his prime and better suited to a supporting role in attack. 32red are still placing United at 9/1 and betway offering 8/1 for them to win the league. For those odds to get any shorter, though, they will need a bigger attacking threat.
So who could United bring in to solve all these woes up front? There are a few big names that could be on the move in the January transfer window, but whether they go to Manchester is another story.
Alexandre Pato
Alexandre Pato was once one of the most dangerous strikers in Serie A at AC Milan, and bagged 51 goals in 117 appearances for the club. He was shaping up to become a great talent until he was plagued with injuries that nearly ended his career. Now he is back scoring again at Sao Paulo in Brazil, and has attracted the attention of some of the top English clubs.
Signing the Brazilian could be a big gamble. He may find that the Premier League is too physical, and end up on the treatment table once again. On the other hand he could follow in the footsteps of some of the other South Americans who have thrived in England and turn out to be a serious asset to whoever manages to land his signature.
Edinson Cavani
There has been a lot of speculation surrounding Edinson Cavani and his name always seems to be a talking point whenever a transfer window rolls around. Arsenal, United, and Chelsea are all reported to have shown an interest in the player but so far he has remained at Paris Saint-Germain.
His record of 44 goals in 81 appearances for the French club is phenomenal and after the success of his compatriot, Luis Suarez, it is thought that he would be an ideal addition to any Premier League team.
Gareth Bale
Although Bale has had quite a successful time at Real Madrid, many are speculating that a return to the Premier League could be on the cards sometime soon. The relationship between Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo appears strained, and the fans don’t have much love for the Welshman either.
Manchester United still have a lot of pulling power in the transfer market and have already managed to recently sign a player from Real Madrid, so this is a move that could well be on the cards.
If any of these players do turn out to be on the move in January, United would be wise to get in there before any of their rivals. Acquiring one of these names could well see the Red Devils back up there with the top goalscoring clubs.