Man Utd urged to ‘break the bank’ for world-class striker or Prem forward, with Ten Hag option ‘a lost cause’
Ollie Watkins marks Ivan Toney during Aston Villa vs Brentford
Manchester United have been told to sign a new striker in a big-money deal, with one insider suggesting they move for either Napoli’s Victor Osimhen or Ivan Toney of Brentford.
Man Utd got back to winning ways on Saturday, as they beat Fulham 1-0 at Craven Cottage thanks to a stoppage-time strike from captain Bruno Fernandes. That goal may well have saved Erik ten Hag his job following the hugely disappointing 3-0 defeats to Manchester City and Newcastle United recently.
Although, Ten Hag still remains under pressure as Man Utd boss. The performance was once again lacking quality and aggression, and Fulham could have picked up all three points themselves if they were more effective in front of goal.
The Red Devils tried to improve Ten Hag’s attack in the summer by making Rasmus Hojlund their new striker, signing the Dane in a huge £72million deal.
Hojlund has made a great impression on the Man Utd faithful through his passionate and hard-working performances. He has netted three times in the Champions League, though he is yet to bag his first Premier League goal.
Amid Man Utd’s struggles, talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook has given Ten Hag some advice on how he can make the club successful again. It includes Man Utd being told to ‘break the bank’ by winning the race for either Osimhen or Toney, with Anthony Martial set to be sacrificed.
READ MORE: TNT pundits name two stars Ten Hag can trust after dragging Man Utd to victory over Fulham
‘It is no secret that Harry Kane would have been Ten Hag’s dream summer signing,’ Crook wrote.
‘Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy was never going to let that happen so instead the Dutchman persuaded the United board to fork out £72m for the relatively unproven Hojlund.
Man Utd told to pursue Victor Osimhen or Ivan Toney
‘Hojlund’s work-rate and endeavour has instantly won the hearts of the Old Trafford faithful, but the Dane is still waiting for his first Premier League goal and is often starved off service during matches.
‘Marcus Rashford’s form has also been a long way short of the dazzling heights of last season while Anthony Martial is simply a lost cause.
‘United are not historically big-spenders in the January transfer window but they may have to break the bank to sign Chelsea and Arsenal target Ivan Toney, or Victor Osimhen, to salvage what is left of their sorry season by then.’
As Crook mentions, Man Utd would be ruining Arsenal and Chelsea’s plans by capturing Toney. Both London clubs have set their sights on the England star, and TEAMtalk understands he has recently told Brentford he wants to secure a move in January.
Toney would be a relatively risk-free transfer for Man Utd as he is already a proven goalscorer in the Premier League, having found the back of the net 20 times in 33 league games last term.
Although, it could be argued that Man Utd fans would be more excited if their club snatched Osimhen from Napoli. The Nigerian has established himself as one of the most coveted strikers in Europe, after registering 31 goals in 39 appearances last season.
Napoli have held talks with Osimhen’s camp over a potential new contract, though it is unclear whether that deal will reach completion after the club posted videos on social media which appeared to mock the player. And Man Utd could capitalise on this uncertainty by taking Osimhen to Old Trafford.
