Manchester United’s dismal season within the Premier League continued to hit new lows after a 1-0 defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers at Previous Trafford on Sunday.
Vitor Pereira’s aspect, who’ve been battling relegation all season, at the moment are degree on factors with the Crimson Devils on 58 factors, solely behind them on purpose distinction.
A surprising free-kick from Pablo Sarabia was the distinction between the 2 sides in Manchester, as a second of high quality determined the match in a stadium the place that has typically been the case for the house staff within the Premier League period.
A scarcity of high quality sums up the place United are at this second in time – sat 14th within the league desk – and their choice of strikers is a damning indictment on the recruitment work finished behind the scenes in recent times.
Rasmus Hojlund, signed from Atalanta in a £72m deal in 2023, began in opposition to Wolves and failed to attain, which signifies that he has scored three targets in 28 Premier League matches.
Joshua Zirkzee was unavailable and is ready to overlook the rest of the season on account of a hamstring damage, however he has not often offered the standard that United want within the closing third.
Why Man Utd might transfer on from Joshua Zirkzee
The Crimson Devils reportedly paid a charge of £36.5m to signal the Netherlands worldwide from Serie A aspect Bologna final summer time to compete with Hojlund for a spot within the beginning line-up.
Sadly, neither of them have carried out properly sufficient to nail down the place of Manchester United’s first-choice quantity 9, as a substitute taking turns at struggling on the prime finish of the pitch within the Premier League.
Zirkzee has began 14 of his 32 appearances within the division, which reveals that he has did not carry out properly sufficient to be a constant starter, and scored three targets from 4.82 xG in that point.
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Joshua Zirkzee’s placing struggles |
||
|---|---|---|
|
24/25 Premier League |
Per 90 |
Percentile rank |
|
Non-penalty xG |
0.31 |
Backside 36% |
|
Non-penalty targets |
0.19 |
Backside 16% |
|
Pictures |
1.89 |
Backside 9% |
|
Assists |
0.06 |
Backside 19% |
|
Anticipated Assisted Targets |
0.10 |
Backside 41% |
|
Shot-creating actions |
1.99 |
Backside 31% |
|
Stats by way of FBref |
||
As you may see within the desk above, the Dutch centre-forward ranks extremely lowly amongst strikers within the Premier League in a number of key goalscoring metrics.
These statistics present that Zirkzee doesn’t get into high-quality goalscoring positions frequently and that he fails to benefit from his alternatives after they do come his means.
The previous Bayern Munich gem turns 24 subsequent month, nearly two years older than Hojlund, and may very well be moved on this summer time to make room for a brand new striker. He price greater than £30m lower than the Danish prospect, which might make it extra interesting to promote to restrict any losses on their preliminary outlay.
Man Utd attain settlement with £30m striker
Based on Africa Foot, as relayed by TEAMtalk, Manchester United have already reached an settlement with Victor Osimhen and his representatives forward of a potential switch.
The report claims that the Crimson Devils have struck a take care of the Nigeria worldwide forward of the upcoming summer time switch window, as they appear to bolster their choices on the prime finish of the pitch.
It reveals that Osimhen desires to maneuver to the Premier League to take the following step in his profession, and he has now given the inexperienced gentle to a switch to Previous Trafford.
The outlet provides {that a} everlasting exit from Napoli is on the playing cards for the striker this summer time, regardless of his contract not ending till 2026, and {that a} charge of as much as £30m may very well be sufficient to safe his providers.
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While an settlement could have been reached with Osimhen and his representatives, Manchester United nonetheless must agree a take care of the Italian membership to make sure that the ahead is a part of Ruben Amorim’s squad for the 2025/26 marketing campaign.
The settlement with the participant does counsel that they’re closing in on the Galatasaray loanee, although, and that is probably not excellent news for Zirkzee and his future in Manchester.
Why Manchester United ought to signal Victor Osimhen
The Crimson Devils should proceed on their path to signing Osimhen from Napoli this summer time as a result of he might are available to resolve the issues that they’ve had within the striker place this season.
The 26-year-old marksman is a prolific and dependable goalscorer who has confirmed his high quality on the prime finish of the pitch in current seasons, in Italy, France, and Turkey, while the United entrance two have struggled all through the 2024/25 marketing campaign within the Premier League.
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Victor Osimhen’s dependable goalscoring |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Season |
Membership |
Appearances |
Targets |
|
24/25 |
Galatasaray |
33 |
29 |
|
23/24 |
Napoli |
32 |
17 |
|
22/23 |
Napoli |
39 |
31 |
|
21/22 |
Napoli |
32 |
18 |
|
20/21 |
Napoli |
30 |
10 |
|
19/20 |
Lille |
35 |
17 |
|
Stats by way of Sofascore |
|||
As you may see within the desk above, Osimhen has scored 17 targets or extra in 5 of the final six seasons for Lille, Napoli, and Galatasaray, with a staggering 29 targets in 33 matches within the present marketing campaign.
The Napoli ahead, who was as soon as described as a “monster” by analyst Ben Mattinson, was notably spectacular within the 2022/23 Serie A season, scoring 26 targets to information his aspect to the title.
Zirkzee, in the meantime, has solely scored seven targets in 48 matches in all competitions in his debut 12 months in England, which might be Osimhen’s lowest tally in any of his final six years.
This means that Osimhen, who at the moment ranks inside the prime 1% of forwards within the Males’s Large 5 Leagues and European competitions for non-penalty xG per 90 (0.98), would are available as a major improve on each Zirkzee and Hojlund on account of his skill to persistently and reliably discover the again of the online, adapting to new international locations and leagues with ease.
When it comes to what that will imply for the present United strikers, Zirkzee being older and cheaper than Hojlund might lead to him being the one to be despatched packing to make room for the Nigerian striker forward of subsequent season.
Subsequently, the information that United have reached an settlement with Osimhen ought to come as unhealthy information to the Dutch attacker, whose days at Previous Trafford could already be numbered.
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It’s now all the way down to the board to make sure that they will attain an settlement with Napoli, whether or not that’s for a charge of £30m or not, to bolster Amorim’s attacking choices.
