Manchester United are reportedly in discussions to sign a forward who has demonstrated impressive form this season, outperforming Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee combined in terms of goals scored.
Man Utd Transfer News
At Sporting Club, Ruben Amorim cultivated a team reflecting his tactical vision, which quickly led to success. His setup featured dynamic wing-backs, potent attacking midfielders, and crucially, Viktor Gyokeres, a forward known for his clinical finishing in European football. In contrast, upon arriving at Manchester United, Amorim inherited a squad with contrasting characteristics, resulting in the team languishing in the lower half of the Premier League table.
Amorim has had to rely on Zirkzee and Hojlund, a stark contrast to Europe’s elite strikers, and despite a combined investment of £108m over the past two transfer windows, their performances have been underwhelming.
Solving this goal-scoring deficiency is critical for Amorim’s prospects at Old Trafford, potentially leading to the arrival of an in-form player this summer. Reports from L’Equipe suggest that Manchester United has initiated talks to acquire Jean-Philippe Mateta from Crystal Palace, with the London club valuing the player at £40m.
Mateta has rediscovered his peak form under manager Oliver Glasner in recent months, although his progress was temporarily halted by a harsh foul in an FA Cup match.
As he recovers, Mateta will aim to maintain his momentum and further impress Manchester United. The statistics suggest that Mateta could significantly enhance United’s attack compared to Zirkzee and Hojlund.
Mateta: A Potential Upgrade for Man Utd
Collectively, Hojlund and Zirkzee’s goalscoring record this season does not surpass Mateta’s individual tally for Crystal Palace across all competitions. Mateta has scored 15 goals, whereas Hojlund and Zirkzee have only managed seven and six goals respectively, totaling 13 goals between them. This highlights a disappointing season for both at Old Trafford.
Mateta’s excellent form has garnered praise from Glasner, who commented to reporters, ‘We don’t always talk because he knows what we demand of him. With his two goals today, he is amazing in the box. He has the feeling that a number nine must have in the box. He makes so many runs where he doesn’t get the ball. You need to suffer as a striker because you make so many runs where you don’t get the ball. He gets the reward and it decides the game for us.’
Vihaan Mehrotra