Erik ten Hag told to make two Man Utd transfers and follow Sir Alex Ferguson
Manchester United should splash out and sign a Premier League-proven centre-forward in the January transfer window.
That is the opinion of former United winger Lee Sharpe, who believes Rasmus Hojlund needs some support up front. Erik ten Hag’s side have made a poor start to the season and sit 10th in the Premier League having won just four of their eight games so far, while they have also lost both matches in the Champions League.
They have struggled to find the back of the net, scoring nine times in the league – half the number managed by Tottenham and Liverpool, and way short of Brighton, who lead the way on 21. Hojlund has caught the eye following his £72million transfer in the summer, but his three goals in eight games across all competitions have not been enough for his struggling side.
Ten Hag only really has Anthony Martial as a back-up to the 20-year-old Danish striker, with Marcus Rashford much more comfortable playing on the left wing. Sharpe won three Premier League titles under Sir Alex Ferguson and believes depth up front is a must for silverware, with two options standing out.
“I think Ivan Toney would be good at most of the top six or eight clubs. I think he’s proven what a strong centre forward he is, how good he is holding the ball up, doesn’t get injured much and is someone you consistently name in most teams,” he told AGamble.com. “I think Toney and Ollie Watkins at Villa are two centre-forwards that most of the top six to eight clubs will be looking at.
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“I’m always surprised that most clubs only ever have one centre-forward. When United won the treble they had four centre-forwards. I think because they play three up top now with only one centre-forward it makes it a lot more difficult to have a squad with a few centre forwards in it.
Ollie Watkins has signed a new five-year contract with Aston Villa (Andrew Kearns/Getty Images)HAVE YOUR SAY! Which striker should Manchester United sign? Comment below.
"But I think Ollie Watkins would be great at United. I think he has great vision, great feet, can bring people into play and can score goals. I think he’d relish playing on the big stage.”
Toney is currently serving an eight-month suspension for breaking FA betting rules, but is training with Brentford and will be able to return to action in mid-January. He is keen for a fresh start and could leave the Bees in the next transfer window, with the club valuing him at £60m amid interest from Arsenal.
Watkins, meanwhile, signed a new five-year contract with Villa on Friday, saying: "I feel like this is the best place for me to play my football.” The 27-year-old is back in the England squad for the upcoming games against Australia and Italy and has seven goals in 13 games across all competitions for Villa this season, including a hat-trick in the recent 6-1 win over Brighton.
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