Manchester United striker options for Erik ten Hag if new forward isn’t signed| SolSportHQ
Everyone thought signing a new striker was going to be Manchester United’s No 1 priority during the summer transfer window.
After all, the need for a proven goalscorer to spearhead United’s attack became glaringly obvious during Erik ten Hag’s first season in charge.
Despite the best efforts of Marcus Rashford, United mustered a meagre 58 goals in their 38 Premier League matches, significantly fewer than their rivals around them in the table.
Embarrassingly, it was just one more than the 2021-22 campaign under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick, widely considered to be United’s worst of the Premier League era.
Yet to the surprise of many, Ten Hag and the United hierarchy have targeted other areas for upgrades so far this summer.
Mason Mount’s £60million arrival from Chelsea has unquestionably strengthened the midfield – with Ten Hag hailing him after his debut in the 2-0 friendly win over Leeds on Wednesday.
United are also seeking a replacement for goalkeeper David de Gea and are locked in negotiations with Inter Milan for Andre Onana, who could cost them over £50m.
So given Ten Hag’s budget for new acquisitions is only £120m, it leaves very little money left to sign the striker so urgently needed.
A pursuit of England star Harry Kane was quickly ruled out after Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy demanded over £100m for a player out of contract in 12 months’ time.
Napoli hotshot Victor Osimhen was even dearer and United were no doubt left a little stunned by Atalanta’s £86m valuation of Dane Rasmus Hojlund, another Ten Hag target.
Talks are also in progress over Eintracht Frankfurt’s Randal Kolo Muani, who is a cheaper alternative.
However, Paris Saint-Germain could rival them for both players amid uncertainty over Kylian Mbappe’s future there.
There is plenty of time left, of course, and Ten Hag’s transfer kitty could be swollen by player sales, but as it stands they’ll begin the new season without a genuine, proven centre forward.
It means Ten Hag may be forced to get a bit creative.
Trust in unreliable Martial
Anthony Martial has been through several new dawns under various manager during eight years at United so you can’t entirely rule out another.
The 27-year-old Frenchman, who hasn’t scaled the heights everyone hoped he would in a red shirt, is entering the final year of his existing contract.
That, and a very chequered injury record, means he is certainly a player United will listen to offers for this summer.
But if they don’t sign another forward, they may well be forced to keep hold of Martial, who at least wears the No 9 and is capable of playing like one.
He mustered nine goals in all competitions last season but suffered a succession of injury breakdowns and so completely lacks the reliability you need.
Only once has he exceeded 20 goals in a season for United and, realistically, they need someone who can guarantee that number and more.
If Martial is leading the line for United again come September, after the window closes, you really have to question if progress is being made.
Shift Rashford into the middle
Playing predominantly off the left side, Marcus Rashford enjoyed his best season for United yet.
His 30 goals made all the difference between Ten Hag’s first year being positive and being more of the same old drift and decay at the club.
Given Rashford’s form and his preference for playing on the left, where he can take players on and cut inside to shoot, you’d be highly reluctant to move him.
But if Martial isn’t available and nobody is bought, Ten Hag could well shift him into the centre.
Rashford did play centrally on a number of occasions last season, United have Jadon Sancho and Alejandro Garnacho as ready-made replacements on the left, and Rashford would probably still get you plenty of goals.
Sancho knows he can deliver more for United but Garnacho enjoyed a great breakthrough season and showed himself willing and able to beat defenders.
So the switch would make sense but it’s a question of whether you’d really want to take a gamble with the happiness of your main attacking threat and pile more pressure onto him.
Unleash the wingers!
In Oslo on Wednesday, in the absence of the unfit Martial, Ten Hag opted to play Sancho as a false nine, flanked by youngsters Omari Forson on the left and Amad on the right.
You really can’t read much into a first game of pre-season in which most first-team regulars were absent but simply unleashing all the speedy wingers on opponents could be a plan.
Imagine Sancho in the middle with Rashford on the left and Antony on the right, with all three tasked with causing absolute chaos by just running directly at defenders from all angles.
The tactic could come with its merits though finishing may be the issue. Sancho couldn’t take a simple chance when set up by Hannibal Mejbri on Wednesday, again highlighting the need for an actual centre forward.
You also need a point of difference in a forward line and this could easily become much of a muchness if everyone is essentially just sprinting and dribbling.
Mimic Pep’s false nine
Pep Guardiola famously set Manchester City up without a recognised centre forward a couple of years back when Gabriel Jesus didn’t fire following Sergio Aguero’s exit.
The City boss kept opposition managers guessing by rotating between the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva, Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez in a ‘false nine’ role.
If Ten Hag, who worked alongside Guardiola at Bayern Munich, wanted to be truly inventive, he could do something similar at United.
Bruno Fernandes would be best placed to fulfil the role given he reliably gets into scoring positions anyway. He could lurk around on the edge of the box and make darts into it to meet the service from wide.
New boy Mount might be a good candidate as well given he occasionally played as a false nine at Chelsea, seeking out space and opportunities in central positions.
A combination of Fernandes and Mount, with perhaps Casemiro and Christian Eriksen behind them, could cause plenty of headaches.
Are either going to get you the goals required over a long period, however?
Reintegrate Greenwood
If United fail in their efforts to sign a new striker, one potential but far from straightforward fallback could be to bring Mason Greenwood back into the squad.
The 21-year-old saw charges of attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault dropped in February but United’s internal investigation into Greenwood is ongoing.
A decision over his future at the club is expected soon and it’s possible he may be sent out on loan to a foreign club for the season ahead.
It emerged last week that he could be used as a makeweight in a deal with Atalanta for Hojlund though his future is very much undecided.
Greenwood is working on his fitness levels and was pictured training with United team-mate Anthony Elanga.
He hasn’t played a game for United since January last year and there is known to be opposition to his return to the fold from within the club.
But if United do decide to reintegrate him, Greenwood would offer Ten Hag an option at centre forward.
Although many of his early appearances for the team were on the right wing, his finishing ability is such that a move to a centre forward position was always possible.
After so long out of the game and so many repercussions, you sense restoring Greenwood would amount to a last resort if United failed to land any of their striker targets.
