Manchester United must move quickly to fill a hole in their attack now that Cody Gakpo has left for Liverpool, with Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting seeming like the most promising replacement.
This season, Manchester United has played without a true No. 9 because top scorer Marcus Rashford is more at home on the left and Cristiano Ronaldo was benched long before he criticized the team in an interview with Piers Morgan.
Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole started up front the previous time they faced Nottingham Forest in the Premier League, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer came off the bench to score four, and Teddy Sheringham didn’t even make the squad.
Get Instantly Update By: Joining Our Whatapps and Telegram Channel
On Tuesday, Anthony Martial started as the line’s captain for just the third time this season. Due to Martial’s injury woes, Rashford’s positional preference, and United’s squad planning — or lack thereof — the Red Devils must make a January purchase but cannot make a large one.
That leaves a small group of players who could contribute to United’s assault well without costing the company a fortune.
Alexander Mitrovic has been mentioned as a possibility; he is a proven Premier League goal scorer who is only ahead of Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, and Ivan Toney in the race for the league’s Golden Boot this season. However, he is under contract with Fulham through the 2026 season, and they would demand a sizable transfer fee.
Memphis Depay’s contract with Barcelona expires next summer, the Catalan giants would let him leave for a pittance this winter, and Ten Hag is known to be a fan. However, Memphis Depay isn’t a true striker, and United have plenty of options in that position.
Choupo-Moting is likely the remaining front-runner after that. He was demoted with Stoke in 2018 after a five-goal season, but he now appears to be a completely different player after successfully filling Robert Lewandowski’s shoes at Bayern Munich this year. His 11 goals across all competitions have come in at a rate of one every 77 minutes.
Additionally, his contract expires in the summer, and in the winter transfer window, he might be acquired at a significant discount.