If recent reports are anything to go by, Manchester United will be seeking out a new centre-forward this summer, with journalist Florian Plettenberg naming the likes of Benjamin Sesko, Viktor Gyokeres and Victor Osimhen among the club’s list of targets.
Not since the days of Robin van Persie have the Red Devils truly acquired a striker at the peak of the powers, with recent years having often seen short-term solutions favoured, bringing in the ageing duo of Cristiano Ronaldo and Edinson Cavani, as well as the shock loan signings of Odion Ighalo and that man, Wout Weghorst.
With only Bruno Fernandes reaching double figures for goals this season in all competitions, a new number nine appears a necessity, albeit with hopes high for teen “goal machine”, Chido Obi to blossom in the years to come, as hailed by analyst Ben Mattinson.
The 17-year-old sensation is yet to score in four substitute appearances for the Red Devils, although with 12 goals to his name in just nine U18 appearances, as per Transfermarkt, it surely won’t be long before the Danish youth international begins to fire at senior level.
The rise of teenage strikers has been a theme of the last decade or so, be it with Marcus Rashford’s emergence in 2016, as well as Anthony Martial’s arrival prior to that.
Anthony Martial's Man Utd record
It is worth noting that the Frenchman has actually outscored both Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund this season in his new surroundings, with the 28-year-old having scored nine goals across all fronts since joining Greek side AEK Athens on a free transfer last summer.
Despite his red-hot form, few will be regretting the decision to let the one-time Monaco man walk away following the expiry of his contract, with Martial – who scored 90 goals in 317 games – having largely been a peripheral figure in his final few seasons at Old Trafford.
Indeed, between the start of the 2020/21 campaign and the end of the 2023/24 season, the mercurial marksman scored just 12 Premier League goals in total, having actually only made five top-flight starts in his final year in Manchester under Erik ten Hag.
Plagued by injuries during Ten Hag’s stint, in particular, the long-serving striker – who was also sent on loan to Sevilla in January 2022 – endured a dismal end to a spell that had started so brightly, with the then-teenager having made an electric start to life in English football back in September 2015.
Signed from Monaco for an initial fee of £36m on deadline day, Martial famously marked his debut with a fine strike at home to rivals Liverpool, a moment etched in United folklore – not least for Martin Tyler’s iconic commentary.
Instantly catapulted into the limelight, the 19-year-old – who also memorably scored in the FA Cup semi-final win over Everton in stoppage time – ended that debut campaign as the club’s top scorer with 17 goals to his name in all competitions.
Further high points would follow over the next few years, including a haul of 17 league goals in 2019/20 during that Covid-impacted campaign, but did it ever really get better than that dazzling first season?
The fear will be that a similar situation could be occurring with United’s current leading man…
Man Utd may have found their new Martial
A potential part of the problem for Martial following that sparkling 2015/16 campaign was that new boss Jose Mourinho subsequently stripped him of the number nine shirt, instead handing it to summer signing, Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Reports at the time indicated that the £36m man was unimpressed by that decision, with his agent branding the club disrespectful, with Martial instead made the club’s new number 11 under Mourinho – before being reinstated to his prior jersey in 2019.
Such a minor detail may seem insignificant, but it certainly can’t have helped as Martial went on to endure a difficult second season, after scoring just eight times across all fronts, having been largely shunted out onto the left flank.
Player
Games
Goals
Assists
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
53
29
10
Romelu Lukaku
96
42
12
Odion Ighalo
23
5
1
Edinson Cavani
59
19
6
Cristiano Ronaldo (2nd spell)
54
27
5
Wout Weghorst
31
2
3
Anthony Martial
317
90
46
Rasmus Hojlund
82
24
4
Perhaps, a similar scenario has occurred almost in reverse for young Hojlund, with the 22-year-old – who took on the number 11 shirt upon his £64m signing last summer – now burdened with the number nine jersey and the responsibility of being the main man through the middle.
Much like Martial, the former Atalanta hotshot had enjoyed a promising first year after ending 2023/24 as the top scorer in all competitions with 16 goals, having particularly found his groove in the Champions League after netting five group stage goals.
Equally, in a similar vain to Martial, the towering Dane had caught the eye on debut in a statement clash with Arsenal, having proven a real nuisance for Gabriel and William Saliba, while producing a delightful flick in the build-up to Alejandro Garnacho’s late, disallowed ‘winner’.
Hojlund’s pace and power looked a frightening prospect at the time, with club legend Gary Neville highlighting that “aggressive” first outing from the new arrival, adding to the feeling that he was a “monster in the making”, according to talent scout Jacek Kulig.
Sadly, having fallen down the pecking order at the backend of last season – with Ten Hag opting for a strikerless system in the FA Cup final – Hojlund has again struggled this term, with Sunday’s well-taken strike against Leicester City just his eighth of the campaign.
A return of three league goals – one behind what Martial recorded in 2016/17 – is a grim return indeed, with that latest goal against the Foxes having ended a goal drought that stretched back to mid-December in all competitions.
There have been signs of life of late, not least with his clever assist against Real Sociedad last week, yet Hojlund is showing little consistency to suggest that he can be United’s attacking spearhead for the long term.
Patience, of course, is still needed with such a young talent, although having seen the issue with having a little too much patience in the likes of Martial, the Red Devils may need to get ruthless this summer.
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