£108.5m Man Utd duo have only six months to impress new head coach or must face axe - opinion
Manchester United have been abysmal in the final third this season despite investing in two strikers in two summers.
Rasmus Hojlund moved to United from Atalanta in a £72 million deal in 2023.
Following Antony Martial’s departure, United bolstered their forward options by signing Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna for £36.5 million.
The duo have scored only three goals in 27 appearances this campaign.
Zirkzee made a dream debut for United, marking his first appearance with a goal. However, he has failed to do so again in the last 15 games.
United’s incoming head coach, Ruben Amorim, has a daunting task to revitalise the misfiring frontline.
Sporting have been flawless this season and a major credit must go to their striker Viktor Gyokeres.
The £58 million-rated centre-forward has netted 20 goals and recorded four assists in 16 games.
He is heavily linked to following Amorim’s footsteps to Old Trafford with Dimitar Berbatov also believing the same.
The Portuguese manager has confirmed that he won’t sign any Sporting players in January but is open to reuniting next summer.
Gyokeres could be at the top of his transfer wish list because of his superb finishing skills and remarkable consistency.
Both strikers have until next summer to prove their worth and justify United’s significant investment in them.
Hojlund has a higher chance of shining under Amorim, considering his playing style is similar to Gyokeres’s.
However, the 21-year-old must improve his abilities and add some goals to his game.
The same cannot be said for Zirkzee.
The Dutchman has endured a difficult spell in front of goal and his lack of cohesion in recent games has done little to endear him to United supporters.
One of them must be offloaded to sign Gyokeres next summer.
Stats from transfermarkt.com