Ten Hag Says Manchester United Are Looking To Sign Striker This Summer

Manchester United are facing difficulties in scoring goals, prompting manager Erik ten Hag to express the need for a new striker ahead of their upcoming Premier League match against Bournemouth. With only 45 goals scored this season, United have the lowest goal tally among the top 10 teams in the league standings. Despite the acquisition of 21-year-old Dane Rasmus Hojlund for approximately £72 million in August, who has scored 13 goals in 34 appearances across all competitions, the team is still struggling to find consistent goal-scoring form.

Injuries to key players like Anthony Martial, who has only scored twice this season and has been sidelined since January, have further worsened United’s attacking woes. While the emergence of Argentine left-winger Alejandro Garnacho, with nine goals in 41 appearances, has provided some relief, the underperformance of Marcus Rashford, who scored 30 goals last season but has only managed eight in 38 games this season, has added to the team’s goal-scoring concerns.

Initially, Ten Hag had ruled out the prospect of recruiting a striker during the January transfer window, citing financial fair play regulations. However, he has since confirmed the club’s intentions to pursue new signings in the upcoming offseason transfer window.

“I think it would help,” the Dutch manager told reporters on Friday. “You need more options. You need double positioning in every position. He continues “Some positions we didn’t have the choices this season – the striker position, the left-back position, and that hurts the results. We are working in the background on plans with the scouting. The plan is ready but we have to execute.”

The manager also expressed his openness to ideas from the club’s new ownership, expressing hope for collaboration between them. “I trust the new ownership that they will work as quick as possible and bring new good structures and that they can execute (the plans),” he added. “But we have a way we want to play, so we know our profiles, it has to match the profiles we want.”

Manchester United currently occupy the sixth position in the league standings with 49 points, and they have seven games left to play in the season.