With the new season approaching, Manchester United are yet to sign a centre forward, despite links to several options throughout the window, this could be the best option
Manchester United have needed a striker since Cristiano Ronaldo left the club; for a while, it appeared Anthony Martial would take his place, but he couldn’t replace him due to his struggle with injuries throughout his time at Old Trafford.
Marcus Rashford and Wout Weghorst both had stints up front, but in truth, neither nailed down the position before Rasmus Hojlund was signed for over £60 million two years ago.
While he showed glimpses of quality in his first campaign, Hojlund has struggled to assert himself as the main centre forward. The Dane played over 50 games for United last season, but only managed 10 goals, simply not good enough for a striker at Old Trafford.
Joshua Zirkzee is the only other senior striker at Rúben Amorim’s disposal, but the Dutchman also struggled in front of goal, scoring just seven goals himself last season.
The new season is fast approaching and United remain without a centre forward, but Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo have both joined the club, as two attacking midfielders who are known for their goalscoring capability.
Why Pavlidis is the perfect striker target
Vangelis Pavlidis of Benfica would be the perfect option for Amorim’s system if Jason Wilcox and the recruitment team could get a deal done for the Greek centre forward.
While his name isn’t brought up in the same conversations as Viktor Gyokeres, Pavlidis scored 19 goals and registered seven assists in the Portuguese top flight last campaign, while only starting 27 games.
Unlike options like Gyokeres and Victor Osimhen, Pavlidis is very creative, and he is among the best strikers in the world for shot-creating actions, with over three per game, as per Fbref.
Furthermore, the centre forward often makes a run into the channel before standing up the full back and beating him with his excellent dribbling ability, another dimension of his game that is unique compared to most other strikers on the market.
Pavlidis is expected to be involved in just under one goal contribution per 90 minutes he plays, whether that’s scoring himself or setting up a chance for one of his teammates.
Pavlidis would unleash Cunha and Mbeumo
Against Leeds United in pre-season, Cunha was seen visibly annoyed at Chido Obi because he took a shot, rather than leaving it for the Brazilian to convert.
Like Cunha, Mbeumo would have a similar reaction, as both players like to look to shoot first and only go for the pass if that isn’t an option. Therefore, a striker who looks to create for his teammates could be the best option.
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Pavlidis not only suits the Amorim system, but he also suits the players already at Old Trafford, making him the perfect addition to add to United’s frontline.
Zirkzee could also play this role, where he looks to create for others first, but having a more proven and experienced option like Pavlidis could take the pressure off the Dutch striker.
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