Manchester United are keen on signing a new striker and not a winger in the January transfer window, confirms Fabrizio Romano. The Red Devils are yet to find a replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo, who left the club after mutually terminating his contract.
Manchester United to Prioritise Striker Over Winger in January Window
Manchester United Target Striker in January Window
The red side of Manchester have already been dealt a blow ahead of the January transfer window, having lost out to Liverpool in their pursuit of Dutch forward Cody Gakpo. However, that doesn’t mean they will not be willing to make a move for a new striker after falling short in that department following Ronaldo’s departure.
Romano confirms that the United hierarchy will be holding conversations with manager Erik ten Hag to discuss which kind of striker he’d like for them to sign in January. The manager is quite clear on wanting a centre-forward who can play naturally down the middle, rather than someone like Marcus Rashford who is a left-winger but has been forced to play as a forward at times this season.
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The Red Devils have held discussions with Ronaldo’s agent, Jorge Mendes, over potentially signing another client of his next month. Discussions have been held about a possible deal to sign Joao Felix from Atletico Madrid, but the Portuguese forward is not the only option on their list.
Striker Issue Could Hold Back Erik ten Hag’s Squad
At this moment in time, Anthony Martial is the only natural no.9 available for Ten Hag in his first-team squad. The problem is that the Frenchman has developed a tendency to get injured far too often over the last year, having missed 15 games this season because of injuries.
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The Red Devils are well aware that the lack of a striker could haunt them in the second half of the season, especially with the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea set to bolster their squad. Rashford and Elanga can both play up-front but are hardly as effective as on the wings. United are reportedly a bit cash-strapped after spending over £150 million in transfer fees in the summer, which means a loan signing could be the most likely outcome for Ten Hag.
