Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said that United did not sign a striker in the summer because the right player wasn’t available. He told the MEN: “There were strikers, but they weren’t the ones we wanted. We couldn’t get the one we wanted.”
United then were probably looking in the wrong places. Because the right striker was available. And he did move and has not looked back.
Wissam Ben Yedder is a player United know well. He dumped Jose Mourinho’s side out of the Champions League with Sevilla with two goals at Old Trafford.
This summer he was available and was keen to move. Spanish outlet ABC de Sevilla claimed United were keen to pay his release clause. Predictably this was all talk.
While United passed on Ben Yedder, Monaco swooped. The Ligue 1 side paid his £37.1 million release clause and have not been disappointed.
Great start
Ben Yedder is currently Ligue 1’s top goalscorer. He has scored 13 goals in 16 games. That’s two more goals than Kylian Mbappe.
His record is no surprise. He scored 26 goals last season for Sevilla and was a sure bet to be a success.
He may be 29, but that was the age Robin van Persie was when he signed for United. That worked out pretty well.
United’s forwards have done well this season overall. 32 goals combined for Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood is very good.
But there is something missing, and that’s an experienced striker. That was evident against Wolves on Saturday, and has been so many times this season.
Ben Yedder was the answer for United, and deciding against paying his release clause was a big mistake. Solskjaer’s claim that the ‘right players’ were not available is wrong.
No clear plan
It is evident that six days into this transfer window Manchester United have come into it without a plan.
Erling Haaland was the main target and that went badly as soon as Mino Raiola took a centre stage in negotiations.
Failure to sign a striker in the summer, namely Ben Yedder, has distracted from United’s even bigger need – more midfielders.
Solskjaer is already trotting out similar lines stating that the players have to be right for United to do a deal.
It’s hugely frustrating. The players are there. There are six top players around Europe perfectly suited to United with release clauses who the club could sign this month.
For reasons unclear, United are reluctant to move, too hesitant, and do not appear to be looking in the right places.
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