With Manchester United playing some of their best football in years, calls for desperate recruitment at Old Trafford have quieted since the summer window.
However, as Anthony Martial struggles with injury and Cristiano Ronaldo finds himself outside of the squad picture, the need for a new striker has suddenly become relatively desperate. This article will look at whether Terem Moffi could be the player that most sufficiently addresses this need.
Since his arrival at Old Trafford, Erik ten Hag has installed an exciting brand of football into his Manchester United side, with his style of football being particularly effective in transition from defence to attack.
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Due to the speed of transition, United are finding themselves creating a high number of chances per game that has often been reflected in the match results over recent weeks.
Their last Premier League game against Chelsea, however, broke this trend to an extent, as a dominant away performance by the Reds almost culminated in zero points and a first loss since their 6-3 demolition by their sky blue neighbours.
While Casemiro’s stunning header in injury time rescued a point from the game, the question surrounding United’s central striking options lingered as there had been chances throughout.
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Marcus Rashford, whilst he has been good in recent games, has struggled to hit the back of the net with any consistency.
Cristiano Ronaldo, who is revered as one of the game’s greatest finishers, had been banished form the squad due to disciplinary reasons, the most recent revelation in his long-running saga since his attempts to force a move over the summer.
Anthony Martial, who is perhaps the most preferred striker by Erik ten Hag, has struggled with injury this season, despite having shown his class in a number of games.
It is therefore relatively clear that United could certainly do with recruitment in this area in January as they look to continue a charge into the Premier League top four and progress throughout the knockout stages of the Europa League.
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One player that should be on the minds of the recruitment team at Old Trafford is Lorient striker Terem Moffi, who currently has a goalscoring record of 8 goals in 11 Ligue 1 games this season.
The Nigerian displays the very characteristics and skillset that would see him slot into Erik ten Hag’s system perfectly, with the 23-year-old deadly on the end of through balls, something which should excite United fans with Bruno Fernandes and Christian Eriksen currently occupying the midfield.
Furthermore, the striker boasts a 6’1 frame, something which could benefit the likes of Luke Shaw and Diogo Dalot, who have been overlapping their wingers to send crosses into the box under Ten Hag.
With Moffi only experiencing his breakthrough this season, Jon Murtough and Richard Arnold could move quickly to secure the player for a relatively low fee, considering his current record and potential moving into the future.
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He could be the perfect replacement in this regard should Cristiano Ronaldo exit in January, as he is likely to do should his conduct continue in the same manner, jeopardising his relationship with the manager.
At a relatively low fee and with bags of potential, signing Moffi in January surely is a must for the club, even if he is only used in the beginning as injury cover for Anthony Martial.
It will be interesting to see how Manchester United line up in their next Premier League encounter, a home match versus West Ham at Old Trafford, as this could give an indication as to Erik ten Hag’s stance on Cristiano Ronaldo, a key factor in whether forward cover is imperative.
The match versus West Ham will be available on Sky Sports for UK viewers, kicking off at 4:15pm GMT.
Topics: Manchester United, Ligue 1, Cristiano Ronaldo, Erik Ten Hag
Harry Greenwood