Manchester United are likely to be in the market for a new striker this summer and one Premier League attacker is now being linked.
Manchester United face so many issues under Ruben Amorim but scoring goals is one of the biggest concerns.
United have managed just 34 goals in 28 Premier League games this season and attacking players are struggling for goals.
Rasmus Hojlund has been backed by Christian Eriksen but has now reached 20 games without a goal in all competitions.
Joshua Zirkzee and Alejandro Garnacho have struggled for goals too and this lack of clinical edge just cannot continue.
Despite splashing big money on Hojlund and Zirkzee, United may well need to spend on a new striker once more this summer.
Wayne Rooney on Manchester United target Jean-Philippe Mateta
Strikers are already being linked with United ahead of the summer transfer window.
Dusan Vlahovic is on United’s radar amid doubts over his Juventus future, but United may look closer to home.
Reports suggest that United are interested in signing Jean-Philippe Mateta from Crystal Palace.
The Frenchman has been a goal machine for Palace ever since Oliver Glasner’s appointment, smashing 28 goals in 46 games under the Austrian.
Mateta may not set pulses racing in the United fanbase but his goalscoring form at Palace has been difficult to ignore.
Wayne Rooney has now shared his verdict on Mateta, praising the striker – but backing him to join one of United’s Premier League rivals.
Speaking to BBC Sport, Rooney praised Mateta as a ‘big, strong lad’ who clearly knows how to find the back of the net.
Yet whilst United rumours swirl, Rooney actually backed Mateta for a move to Arsenal instead, believing that he can help solve their goalscoring problems.
“Mateta is a big, strong lad who scores a lot of goals,” said Rooney.
“From watching Arsenal over the past few games in the Premier League, they have put a lot of balls into the box without having anyone to get on the end of them. I am sure he would help from that point of view,” he added.
Ben Foster on Manchester United ‘snobbery’ over Mateta
Rooney’s former United teammate Ben Foster has also given his verdict on the Mateta to United rumours.
Speaking on The Football Fill-In, Foster suggested that United really do need to be signing somebody like Mateta.
Foster believes that Mateta is a great Plan B in attack, though he could be United’s Plan A right now given the lack of goals at Amorim’s disposal.
The former United stopper then added that there will be ‘snobbery’ around signing Mateta, believing that many will feel United need perceivably ‘better’ players.
“They do need somebody like a Mateta though, they do,” said Foster.
“I think you always have to have a Plan B, I think it’s so important nowadays to have a big Plan B because their Plan A at Manchester United isn’t working, so I reckon if they sign Mateta, that would probably be their Plan A.
“They would have to change the way they play though, they would have to change the way they play and I think this is where the snobbery comes into it, for me.
“Manchester United will be still hanging their hat on the fact that they’re Manchester United – ‘we’ve got history, we do things properly’ – mate, you’ve got to do whatever you’ve got to do to win games, simple as that,” he added.
Mateta will cost around £40million this summer and with United needing to spend wisely this summer, we can imagine that other strikers will end up being more appealing than banking on Mateta taking his Palace form to Old Trafford.
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