Cristiano Ronaldo and Man United agreed to mutually terminate the forward’s contract last week after Ronaldo was involved in an interview that further painted the club in a negative light. However, a week later, United have identified Ronaldo’s replacements, with the pair shining on the global stage in Qatar.
Ronaldo notched up 18 Premier League goals last campaign, finishing far-and-away their top-scorer across all competitions. But despite his exploits in front of goal, the Portuguese’s impact was said to be a net negative as the influence he had on his teammates proved detrimental to United’s form.
The Red Devils are much improved this term under Erik Ten Hag, but still lack a pure clinical striker. The former Ajax boss, on the other hand, prefers a more fluent attacking line which allows for goals from all areas. This aligns perfectly with the two targets identified to slot seamlessly into the starting XI.
Christian Pulisic
Chelsea winger Christian Pulisic has emerged as one of the leading targets for Man United in the upcoming January transfer window. The American international was subject to interest from the Red Devils in the summer, but Chelsea were reportedly not interested in the loan deal United were offering.
Fast forward six months and it seems as if the move is becoming more likely.
Pulisic is reportedly looking for a move away from Stamford Bridge due to a lack of game time. The former Dortmund star has on the periphery throughout this campaign, receiving most of his minutes off the bench.
The Chelsea number 10 has struggled to replicate his 2019/2020 form with the Blues, where he racked up 21 goal involvements across all competitions that term. However Pulisic has been struggling with consistent injury issues throughout his time in London, which has led to the club’s hierarchy becoming impatient with the player, and thus willing to accept a fee way lower than they paid for him.
According to Calciomercato, Pulisic is on the verge of joining Erik Ten Hag’s squad in a deal worth a reported £35million.
The American is undoubtedly a quality player, constantly proving to be a threat via his immense ball-carrying skills or through his ball-striking. But Pulisic is yet to demonstrate a clinical nature in front of goal, which suggests his signing may improve United’s creativity, but not necessarily the amount of goals the side scores.
Cody Gakpo
Cody Gakpo has been the name on everyone’s lips this season. The 23-year-old, who captains PSV in the Eredivisie has more goal contributions than any other player in Europe this season. The Dutchman has notched up 30 goal involvements in 24 appearances across all competitions.
The forward was heavily linked to Arsenal, Southampton and Leeds in the Summer but was priced out of a transfer. In hindsight, this may have been the best thing that could have happened seeing that his form this season would has only increased his transfer value. Now Gakpo would cost twice as much as he would have six months ago and is being linked to bigger clubs.
The PSV superstar has without doubt been the Netherlands’ best player in this FIFA World Cup campaign scoring in every single group stage game. His exploits on the global stage has seen his list of suitors grow exponentially, with Man United currently leading the race for his signature.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reports that a January transfer to Man United is on the cards but the Red Devils face competition from three or four other clubs. The Italian journalist also reports that PSV will almost certainly ask for more than the €50million initially quoted by PSV before the World Cup started.
Gakpo represents a way more clinical and output driven forward than Christian Pulisic and will undoubtedly increase United’s goal tally come the end of the season.
Which of the two players you’d prefer for Man United? Let us know in the comments.
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