Manchester United’s striker shortage is well documented and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has admitted if the right opportunity arises in January, the Red Devils will pounce to add another forward.
Mario Mandzukic and Callum Wilson are the latest names to be linked with a move to United.
A report from our partners at Sky Sports states that United will continue to monitor the veteran Croatian striker and the England international with a view to a move in January.
Mandzukic, 33, would be the cheaper but short-term option, while Wilson, 27, has shown his predatory instincts consistently for Bournemouth and although he would cost close to $90-100 million to sign he is a long-term project.
After selling Romelu Lukaku to Inter Milan and loaning Alexis Sanchez to the same club, Solskjaer is short of options in attack. Anthony Martial‘s injury has hit them hard, while Marcus Rashford has been carrying knocks and 18-year-old Mason Greenwood has had to step up and play serious minutes early in his United career.
Someone like Wilson would fit the bill perfectly for United, and although they have improved defensively they are struggling to score as they haven’t score more than once in a single PL game since the opening day of the season.
A move for Wilson would make way too much sense for United. He is relatively young, British and would feel their void for a mobile central striker.
Wilson is hungry to test himself at the next level and his scored goals whenever he has stepped up through the leagues with Bournemouth and also when arriving onto the international stage over the last 12 months. His history of picking up serious knee injuries is a concern, but when Wilson is fit he’s been a consistent scorer for the Cherries.
He has scored 38 Premier League goals for Bournemouth in 78 outings, which is close to the hallowed one goal every other game ratio. Wilson has also got off to a flying start to this season, scoring five times in his opening seven games.
Rashford doesn’t look comfortable as a central striker and Martial is better off the wing too, so if Wilson did arrive then Rashford, Martial and Daniel James would be battling for the wide positions in attack. Not a bad front line for Solskjaer to choose from.
Mandzukic would be the easier deal to get done, as Juve are looking to offload him and he’d jump at the chance to join United for the final years of his career. But this project under Solskjaer is all about bringing through young, hungry players and even though Wilson is 27 years old, he was a late bloomer and still has plenty left in the tank.
United have the cash and even though Bournemouth will not want to sell, especially midseason, they will realize this will be the most chance they can get to maximize their profits on Wilson after he signed a new contract over the summer. The Cherries also have Dominic Solanke learning from Wilson and improving all the time, and he is lined up to take over from Wilson if and when he does leave.
If United are serious about finishing in the top four, they have to make a big move for Wilson in January.
They have been linked with Erling Haaland, Ousmane Dembele and Timo Werner in the last week alone, but Wilson would be the safest and most sensible purchase from that list of potential targets.
