The latest low point in Anthony Martial’s protracted stay at Manchester United has only served to highlight the team’s acute need for a striker, if it wasn’t previously clear.

The injury-prone, inconsistent Frenchman, who has missed the last five Premier League games, has apparently been told to work out alone in order to get fitter. Erik ten Hag has apparently let go of the 28-year-old, cutting him loose, just like he did with Jadon Sancho.

With only six months remaining on his current contract, the former Monaco player finally appears to be heading out the door soon. United appears to have made the prudent decision to not extend the contract of a player who has only scored 12 league goals since the start of 2020–21. This most recent development coincides with that.

Anthony Martial’s record in the Premier League

Time of year

Games

Objectives

Helps

2015–16

31

11

4

2016–17

25

4

Six

2017–18

30

9.

5.

2018–19

27

10

3.

2019–20

32

17

7.

2020–2021

22

4

Six

2021–2022.

8

1.

0

2022–2023

21

Six

2.

2023–2024*

Thirteen

1.

1.

Statistics from Transfermarkt

The only problem is that, aside from Rasmus Hojlund, a £72 million summer acquisition, the Red Devils lack depth in the striking department. Even the youthful Dane is being closely watched, having only scored two goals in the top flight thus far, both of which have come in his last two league games.

The 20-year-old Hojlund, who only scored nine Serie A goals for Atalanta last season, has been unfairly given the duty of spearheading United’s attack after the club missed out on top target Harry Kane during the previous window.

Though it is evident that United has to find a competitor for the towering young player, they shouldn’t fall in to desperation and buy another relatively unknown Italian star.

Manchester United may sign a former Premier League misfit.

Journalist Graeme Bailey claims that Juventus striker Moise Kean has been “offered the chance” to sign with both Old Trafford and rival Chelsea. The former Everton player is reportedly available on loan after falling down the Turin hierarchy.

Kenan Yildiz, a teenage phenomenon, and Dusan Vlahovic are among the players Max Allegri prefers, therefore the 23-year-old has only made six league starts for the Bianconeri this season.

The Italy Nations League’s moise-kean
The 15-cap Italy international has undoubtedly been on the Red Devils’ radar for a while, having previously been linked to United in 2019 and reportedly turning the team down years earlier. However, despite their long-standing admiration for the player, Ten Hag and company shouldn’t jump at the chance.

Record against Man Utd for Moise Kean

The outmoded The Juventus player has not had much luck against United in the past, as he has not assisted or scored in four encounters with the team during his senior career.

During his tenure with the Toffees, the Australian-born striker experienced a particularly humiliating incident at Old Trafford in December 2019. Duncan Ferguson, the interim manager, decided to remove the striker from the game barely eighteen minutes after he had entered as a replacement.

Pundit John Arne Riise said that there seemed to be a feeling that the former Rangers player had “destroyed” the confidence of the then-youngster with that brutal act, despite Ferguson’s insistence that such a decision was merely a tactical one with the Merseysiders trying to cling on to a point in that 1-1 draw.

That is still perhaps the most memorable moment from Kean’s miserable time at Goodison Park. In 39 appearances, the £29 million signing netted just four goals and provided two assists before being loaned to both Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain.

United Champions League – Hojlund Man – Copenhagen
The six-foot striker’s return to the Allianz Stadium, which was made permanent last year, has not gone as planned, despite the fact that his 17 goals in 41 games for the Ligue 1 team during that time at the Parc des Princes did contribute to his total goal total of just 22 goals in 115 games.

The figures for Moise Kean’s season

The £64k-per-week centre forward was once the subject of great optimism; during his time at PSG, Eric Rabesandratana even compared him to a certain Edinson Cavani, noting that the two were similar in their “mentality and effort.”

Even then, there are problems with drawing comparisons to Cavani, who scored 200 goals for the Paris team. The experienced Uruguayan has had a difficult time at the Theatre of Dreams since signing in 2020.

Manchester United Premier League edinson-cavani
While 19 goals in 59 appearances is not a bad return, the former Napoli player was much too frequently left off the roster, as journalist Samuel Luckhurst claimed he was “crying off” during that miserable 2021–2022 campaign.

Similar to Cavani, Kean’s availability has been a persistent issue. He has missed 46 days of action so far this season due to a variety of injuries, and he is presently out with a shin injury.

Due to his problems, the Juventus player has only received two yellow cards during his 12 Serie A games this season and has failed to score or record a single assist.

In addition to creating just one “big chance” and missing four of his own, the misfiring striker has been limited to a pitiful average of just 14.3 touches per game in the Italian top division. It seems unlikely that United will sign a player who is currently blazing hot.

In actuality, the Red Devils will need a player who can start right away if a short-term contract is to be reached this month, but Kean is apparently someone to stay away from given his injury history and Premier League shortcomings, much like Luis Suarez.