There's no doubt that Manchester United have toiled at the sharp end this season, and have struggled to see off inferior opposition as a result.
Last weekend’s 1-1 draw against Bournemouth at Old Trafford was not a one-off – troublingly for Jose Mourinho, it was their seventh home draw of the campaign that means they have a win rate of just 42.8% at home this season, their worst record since 1990 when they were 13th in the table and in the latter stages of a 25-year title drought.
United rank a woeful 19th when it comes to converting those chances – only Southampton (9.19) require more for every goal scored
It's not like they're struggle to carve out opportunities: United have created 343 of them this term, a figure that only Tottenham (352) and Liverpool (365) can better – yet they rank seventh in the Premier League for goals scored. They're a woeful 19th when it comes to converting those chances – only Southampton (9.19) require more for every goal scored than United, whose 8.79 per goal is some way short of the 6.71 divisional average.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, United have been heavily linked with Atletico Madrid’s French superstar Antoine Griezmann to address the issue – but an Independent story published this week has claimed that a deal is looking increasingly difficult for United to pull off. If it is indeed off the table, here are five strikers Mourinho should consider instead...
1. Andrea Belotti (Torino)
The 23-year-old is a penalty-box poacher in the mould of Old Trafford legend Ruud van Nistelrooy, hoovering up chances with the assuredness of a seasoned goalscorer
The rising star of Italian football with 22 Serie A goals to his name this season, Torino’s Belotti is keeping pace with five-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi for the European Golden Shoe.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has rightly been praised for his impressive return of 26 goals from 37 games this term, but the 35-year-old has also been guilty of wasting a string of potentially match-winning chances in many of the games which United have drawn. Indeed, with 17 missed 'clear-cut' chances this term, the former Milan and Barcelona frontman has been more wasteful than any other Premier League player – Bournemouth’s Benik Afobe is second with nine.
Belotti would add another edge to the Red Devils’ attack. The 23-year-old is a penalty-box poacher in the mould of Old Trafford legend Ruud van Nistelrooy, hoovering up chances with the assuredness of a seasoned goalscorer, rather than a youngster playing only his third season of top-flight football.
The Italy international, nicknamed Il Gallo – The Rooster – has attempted, including blocked efforts, a total of 80 shots in Serie A this season. With 22 goals scored, that gives him a stunning average of 3.64 shots per goal. By way of comparison, Ibrahimovic has scored 15 times in the league from 110 efforts – an average of 7.33 shots per goal – meaning Belotti has required half as many attempts to score as the veteran Swede.
Reportedly a target for Arsenal, Belotti won't come cheap: a new contract signed earlier this season contains a €100 million buyout clause for non-Italian outfits. But with his incredible efficiency in front of goal, the talented 23-year-old might just be worth it.
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2. Alexandre Lacazette (Lyon)
In the seven seasons since his professional debut for the Ligue 1 side, Lacazette has rattled in 119 goals in 261 appearances for Lyon
“I think that the right moment has arrived to leave.”
France international Lacazette has been linked with a move away from Lyon, his boyhood club, for several years now – but it seems like his 14-year association with l’OL may be about to reach a conclusion.
“I think that this summer I will need a change of scenery and discover something else, still with the idea of advancing and progressing in terms of football and as a person,” the 25-year-old told Canal+ earlier this season.
In the seven seasons since his professional debut for the Ligue 1 side, Lacazette has rattled in 119 goals in 261 appearances for Lyon, as well as accumulating 10 caps for France.
After surpassing the 20-goal mark for a third successive campaign in 2015/16, last summer brought interest and reported bids from West Ham and Arsenal, but neither club were able to match the French side’s reported £50 million valuation of their star man. So Lacazette stayed, and he's again broken beyond 20 goals this term, netting 27 in all competitions so far.
With today's inflated prices in mind, £50m could actually be a relative bargain for an experienced, top-drawer striker with his best years ahead of him. Lacazette is another phenomenally efficient scorer, with an average of just 3.38 shots per goal in Ligue 1 this season, and would add a new dimension to United’s attack thanks to his searing pace and expertly timed runs.
The Frenchman has the ability to stretch play and offers a more direct route to goal than the much slower Ibrahimovic. Premier League interest in Lacazette is again likely to be high when the transfer window re-opens, and United would be wise to throw their hat into the ring. Lacazette himself needs the step up.
3. Harry Kane (Tottenham)
Although he wears the No.10 on his back, Kane is very much a traditional No.9 – a striker who comes to life in the final third and is capable of scoring a wide range of goals
Much like Belotti, Kane is enjoying a thoroughly productive campaign. After topping the Premier League chart last term, the England international is again the hottest marksman in the division this time around, having netted 19 times in 22 appearances in 2016/17.
Although he wears the No.10 on his back, Kane is very much a traditional No.9 – a striker who comes to life in the final third and is capable of scoring a wide range of goals. His 19 in the league this term have come from just 69 shots, giving him a strike rate marginally better than Belotti with a goal every 3.63 efforts – a figure which again dwarfs Ibrahimovic’s return.
Kane is more than just a poacher, though. The 23-year-old posssesses a tremendous awareness of those around him and regularly combines with Spurs' attacking midfielders, while there would be no Premier League adaptation required either.
However, any deal to take him to Old Trafford remains unlikely for now – Kane signed a new five-and-a-half-year, £100,000-per-week contract in December last year and Spurs don't need to sell. Chairman Daniel Levy, meanwhile, is a notoriously stern negotiator.
Kane wants to win trophies, however, and should Spurs remain potless the striker will have a difficult decision on his hands. It'd take a huge big to convince Levy to sell, but even then Kane may opt to remain part of Mauricio Pochettino’s exciting project in north London.
4. Alvaro Morata
Despite his intermittent game time, the 6ft 2in centre-forward has impressed in a series of cameo appearances for Los Blancos, scoring 13 goals in 32 appearances
Though heavily linked with a move to Chelsea, Alvaro Morata returned to Real Madrid last summer when the European champions exercised their €30m buyback option to re-sign the Spain international from Juventus.
Though he was never prolific during his two years in Turin – 27 goals from 93 appearances – Morata earned his reputation as a big-game player by scoring in the 2015 Champions League Final against Barcelona and the Coppa Italia final a year later. His work rate and selflessness also endeared him to the Bianconeri suppoters, who were sad to see him return to the Spanish capital.
Last month, however, Spanish newspaper AS reported that Morata has grown frustrated with his lack of opportunities behind Karim Benzema under Zinedine Zidane, and will look to leave the club in the summer. Yet despite his intermittent game time, the 6ft 2in centre-forward has impressed in a series of cameo appearances for los Blancos, scoring 13 goals in 32 appearances in all competitions.
Where Morata could significantly improve United, however, is in his work off the ball. The ex-Juventus man is willing and able to run the channels and stretch opposition defences, opening up space for team-mates in central areas – a requirement at Real Madrid with Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale both moving inside from their respective flanks. Having a striker doing a similar job at Old Trafford would benefit Juan Mata, Paul Pogba, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and, in particular, Anthony Martial.
So far in the Premier League this season, Ibrahimovic has taken 64 shots from inside the penalty area, twice as many as Pogba (32) and three times as many as any other United player bar Mata (29); the 35-year-old, then, has become a vacuum for the Red Devils' scoring opportunities.
Morata would probably struggle to replicate Ibrahimovic’s goals tally, but his willingess to sacrifice himself for the good of the team would allow others in Mourinho’s team to enjoy a more even spread of goals.
5. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia Dortmund)
Aubameyang has developed into one of the deadliest and most coveted strikers on the planet
Averaging a goal a game in the Bundesliga this term, Borussia Dortmund’s Aubameyang is in the form of his life.
The Gabonese forward joined BVB from Saint-Etienne in the summer of 2013 having spent the majority of his career as a winger – but when Robert Lewandowski jumped ship to join rivals Bayern Munich in 2014, Aubemeyang was trusted by Jurgen Klopp to replace the Polish hitman through the middle.
With 105 goals from 173 appearances in just over three-and-a-half seasons, Aubameyang has developed into one of the deadliest and most coveted strikers on the planet. His 21 Bundesliga strikes so far this campaign have been scored from just 81 total shots, giving him an impressive average of 3.86 shots per goal.
What really sets the 27-year-old apart is his phenomenal speed; Aubameyang is perhaps football's speediest elite striker. As such, he would represent the polar opposite to Ibrahimovic in terms of style: where United currently looked to play up to the towering Swede as a targetman and provide passing options for him with forward runs, they would instead play the ball into space for Aubameyang, allowing him to outstrip his marker and burst through on goal in what has become his trademark fashion.
Aubameyang is perhaps the highest-calibre option on this list, and has proven his quality at the top level over the last three years in both the Bundesliga and the Champions League. Turning 28 in June, though, the Gabon captain may only have one big-money move in his future – and he has made no secret of his desire to join Real Madrid.
A bidding war could result in Dortmund fetching as much as £70m for their dynamic striker. Even if United decide to lodge such a bid, they may face defeat if Madrid offer Aubameyang the chance to fulfil the Bernabeu dream he promised his grandfather.
