With the New Year on the horizon, those of a Manchester United persuasion will no doubt be looking to forget 2024 in a hurry, with it having been a simply miserable 12 months at Old Trafford on the whole.
The notable high point came at Wembley back in May, yet that shock FA Cup final triumph has been quickly forgotten amid the club’s woes both prior and since, with manager Erik ten Hag shown the door just a matter of months after lifting the trophy.
New boss Ruben Amorim has arrived with bold new ideas and an engaging personality, although as recent results have shown, it has largely been more of the same for a side that still languishes in 13th in the Premier League table.
Just a month or so into the Portuguese’s tenure, the Red Devils reached their latest nadir following Sunday’s grim 3-0 defeat at home to Bournemouth, with that result laying bare just where the three-time European champions are at present.
Seven goals conceded across their last two games in all competitions may point to worrying issues defensively, although it is the attacking unit which remains a “major problem” – as noted by journalist Liam Canning.
Man Utd's attacking woes
It says a lot that the Old Trafford side meekly capitulating on home soil no longer sends shockwaves across the game. In truth, defeats like the one to the Cherries have simply become the norm over the last 18 months or so.
This season alone, the Red Devils have now lost 3-0 on three occasions at the Theatre of Dreams, having also wilted up against Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur to mark the beginning of the end for Ten Hag.
Again, the defence will cop much of the blame for those dismal results, but the lack of goals has become a real concern of late. Indeed, United have scored just 21 league goals thus far, leaving them level with the likes of Leicester City, while even behind relegation strugglers, Wolverhampton Wanderers (27).
Those woes were even evident at the weekend, with the hosts registering 23 shots in total and finishing with an xG of 2.28. Bournemouth, meanwhile, had just ten shots and finished with an xG of only 1.63, as per Sofascore.
As Amorim lamented after the defeat to Spurs in the Carabao Cup, his side simply just aren’t “clinical” enough, with the lack of a reliable number nine still a significant issue.
Indeed, while young Rasmus Hojlund has scored seven goals in 20 appearances in 2024/24 thus far, only two of those have come in his 12 league outings.
As for summer signing Joshua Zirkzee, the Dutchman has had an even worse time of it, netting only four times in 25 appearances since his arrival from Bologna.
Season
Player
Goals
2024/25*
Alejandro Garnacho
8
2023/24
Rasmus Hojlund
16
2022/23
Marcus Rashford
30
2021/22
Cristiano Ronaldo
24
2020/21
Bruno Fernandes
28
2019/20
Anthony Martial
23
2018/19
Paul Pogba
16
2017/18
Romelu Lukaku
27
2016/17
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
28
2015/16
Anthony Martial
17
2014/15
Wayne Rooney
14
2013/14
Wayne Rooney
19
The return of the latter man, in particular, simply isn’t good enough, with a swift upgrade needing to be found to resolve what has long been a problem position at Old Trafford.
Man Utd's search for a striker
Back at Sporting CP, Amorim’s success was built on the strength of his leading goalscorer, with Viktor Gyokeres scoring 66 goals in just 68 games during their time together in Lisbon.
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As a result of that fruitful partnership, there will be clamour for a reunion to occur between the pair in Manchester, although according to recent reports, United could well look elsewhere to make a dream first signing of the Amorim era.
Indeed, there have been claims that the Red Devils are among the clubs keen to sign Nigerian sensation, Victor Osimhen, with the 26-year-old currently on loan at Galatasaray from parent club, Napoli.
Reportedly valued at around £62m, the former Chelsea target could make a belated move to the Premier League after a Stamford Bridge switch broke down over the summer, with the striker’s capture likely to be just what United are craving to end their goalscoring woes.
Why Osimhen would be a dream signing for Man Utd
The former Lille man may now be operating outside of Europe’s top five leagues in Turkey, yet it is hard to overlook his goalscoring prowess, having already bagged 12 goals in just 15 games during his time in Istanbul.
That haul ensures he has scored more times than Zirkzee and Hojlund combined in 2024/25 thus far, with the young pair netting just 11 goals between them across all competitions.
This red-hot form follows a prolific spell back in Naples for Osimhen, with the in-demand hotshot having netted 76 times in just 133 games for the Serie A side. In total across his career, the £62m man has scored 126 goals from 238 senior appearances.
To put that into context, Hojlund has scored just 50 senior goals in his career thus far, while Zirkzee’s record is even worse, having scored just 40 times (not including his stint with Bayern Munich’s second team).
Stat (*per game)
Zirkzee
Osimhen
Games (starts)
34 (32)
25 (22)
Goals
11
15
Minutes per goal
252
133
Big chances missed
4
15
Assists
4
3
Big chances created
11
5
Key passes*
1.3
0.9
Total duels won*
40%
43%
Aerial duels won*
43%
44%
The difference in quality between Zirkzee and Osimhen is stark indeed, as evidenced by their respective statistics in Italy’s top-flight last term, with Osimhen simply far more clinical, even if Zirkzee offers a greater creative influence. Amorim needs to ensure this deal gets done as a matter of urgency.
There will no doubt be fears over whether the Napoli man can make the transition to life in the Premier League, although any concerns should be eased by his likeness to a certain Zlatan Ibrahimovic, with that comparison having been made by his former Charleroi manager Felice Mazzu:
“He looks like Ibrahimovic because he can do everything with his feet and his head. There is a big difference between the two – Victor is a simple person – but he will become a great striker.
“His great talent is his explosiveness, he has incredible physical strength. He knows how to play with his head, he always makes the right choice in front of the goal, he can walk all over the field and score. And then he has another great quality: security. He is not afraid of anything.”
While Ibrahimovic’s time at Old Trafford was fleeting, the veteran certainly made his mark under Jose Mourinho, having ended the 2016/17 campaign with 28 goals to his name in 46 appearances.
As that short but sweet stint proved, players of that ilk can score goals anywhere without the need for a period of adjustment, with United – and Amorim – in need of a repeat scenario with the capture of Osimhen.
For too long, since the days of ‘Ibra’ and Robin van Persie before him, have the Red Devils been seeking a genuine world-beater to lead the line. Now is the time to go out and get one.
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