GOAL runs the numbers on all of the strikers interesting Erik Ten Hag
Manchester United had months to solidify their attack this summer but are now entering crisis mode after their top targets proved either too costly or unattainable. Cristiano Ronaldo's desire to leave threatens to thin an already fragile front-line, and they are desperate to add reinforcements soon.
The club have cast a wide net to identify someone, anyone, who might be able to offer them the cutting edge in the final third that they have lacked. The players on their radar have varied dramatically in age and skill level, and just weeks before the window closes, it remains unclear who they might land.
GOAL has thumbed through the statistics of Manchester United's most-linked attacking targets and here are the results.
GettyMatheus Cunha
Considered a huge prospect after impressing at Hertha Berlin, Matheus Cunha did not kick on as he might have hoped in his inaugural Atletico Madrid campaign. He was largely used as a substitute last term, and his stock has dipped somewhat as a result.
There is plenty to like about the Brazilian, though. Cunha is full of energy and defends from the front, while his flexibility allows him to play pretty much anywhere along the front-line. He may not be a big name, but it is not inconceivable that Erik ten Hag could mould him into an effective Premier League attacker.
Unfortunately for the Red Devils, Atletico Madrid are expected to reject any offers that come their way.
2021-22 Appearances – 45
Goals – 7
Assists – 5
Successful pressures (league only) – 80
Goals per shot on target (league only) – 0.43
Successful dribbles per 90 (league only) – 0.59
AdvertisementGetty ImagesAntony
The transfer saga that just won't go away this summer…
If Ten Hag had his way, Antony, his golden boy at Ajax, would have arrived at Old Trafford weeks ago. Quick as a whippet and an expert at cutting in from the right, he has already been capped by Brazil despite being just 22.
The negatives? His numbers are not mind blowing, and Brazilians from the Eredivisie do not always settle in the Premier League. Just ask Afonso Alves.
2021-22 Appearances – 39
Goals – 12
Assists – 10
Possession won final third (league only) – 24
Goals per shot on target (league only) – 0.30
Successful dribbles per 90 (league only) – 2.2
GettySasa Kalajdzic
If Ten Hag is searching for someone tall to lead his line, he needn't look any further than 6-foot-7 Sasa Kalajdzic.
We're sure a couple of United fans out there are reading his stats through their fingers, so it is worth noting that the Stuttgart frontman has scored in greater volume when he's been fit. During the 2020-21 campaign he managed 16 Bundesliga goals and six assists, and he is surprisingly mobile for a big man.
2021-22 Appearances – 19
Goals – 6
Assists – 1
Successful pressures (league only) – 70
Goals per shot on target (league only) – 0.38
Successful dribbles per 90 (league only) – 0.44
GettyCody Gakpo
It is hard not to get excited about Cody Gakpo, who reached a new level at PSV last season.
Gangly and graceful on the ball, the 23-year-old can glide past defenders with ease. His goal record is impressive, too, and he is equally creative when fielded out wide.
His failure to impress over two legs against Leicester in the Europa Conference League is a slight worry when considering how he would fare against Premier League opposition – but it's unfair to read too much into such as small sample there.
2021-22 Appearances – 48
Goals – 21
Assists – 14
Possession won final third (league only) – 16
Goals per shot on target (league only) – 0.37
Successful dribbles per 90 (league only) – 3.6