With Cristiano Ronaldo having recently left Manchester United, Erik ten Hag will now be stepping up plans to recruit a new striker. MEN Sport reported recently that the Dutchman might look to sign a frontman in January.
Ronaldo had only managed three goals in 16 appearances for the Reds prior to his controversial interview with Piers Morgan. The Portuguese attacker had fallen down the pecking order at Old Trafford, and the 37-year-old leaving the club was, in the end, the only option for all parties involved.
Ten Hag has previously spoken about the ability of Anthony Martial, suggesting that he sees the Frenchman as his first-choice striker. However, the 26-year-old has only featured on seven occasions in all competitions so far this season, albeit while registering four goals. Considering that, and the fact Marcus Rashford has looked more comfortable playing from the wing, United will undoubtedly be looking to sign a new striker next year.
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The Reds have, somewhat understandably, been linked with a number of forward players this year - some of which could realistically happen, and many that appear unlikely. One player that has continuously been touted as a future United star is Atletico Madrid and Portugal attacker Joao Felix.
According to The Times, the La Liga giants will listen to offers for the 23-year-old in January, with United thought to be interested in the former Benfica man.
While Atletico cannot - and will not - expect to recoup the €127million they spent on the forward in 2019, his relationship with manager Diego Simeone has soured in recent months. When Felix arrived in Madrid, he had just scored 15 league goals in his only season in the Benfica first team as he helped the Portuguese club win the title.
Despite the talented youngster scoring just 33 goals in 129 games for Atletico, he has shown glimpses of his quality in a red and white shirt. As well as this, his impressive individual performances at this year's World Cup have served as a reminder of his huge potential.
The forward has struggled to adapt to Atletico's stubborn style, and he has only started 14 league games for Simeone's side this term, despite registering four goals in his last four appearances in all competitions before the break in the domestic campaign.
One of the main misconceptions about Felix is that he is a striker. While the Portuguese star is certainly a forward player, he has mainly been utilised as a second striker throughout his career - often playing behind a central frontman. With his country, for example, he has played behind Ronaldo.
He has definitely looked more comfortable at the World Cup, and scored in Portugal’s first group game against Ghana, which they won 3-2.
In his career, just 31 of his 216 professional appearances have come as a central striker, with Felix operating as a 'second striker' on 119 occasions. Considering this, then, there is an argument to suggest that, while he would certainly improve United's attacking options, it would be wrong to identify him as the club's next long-term striker. He could do a job there, but it is not his preferred position - and the statistics prove that.
Ironically, though, his goal return playing as a central striker is quite impressive. He has scored 13 goals in 31 matches while playing as a centre forward.
Ten Hag is keen for his players to play free-flowing football and in recent months, United have performed well without actually playing with a recognised striker. However, the Dutchman will be well aware that the Reds would benefit from additional reinforcements in attacking areas - and a striker is thought to be high on the list of priorities moving forward.
Felix has shown that he still has so much to offer, but whether that comes in a United shirt remains to be seen. Given the fee that Atletico will demand and his inexperience when it comes to leading the line, Ten Hag would need to ask himself whether he's really the answer to United's 'problem'.
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