Manchester United produced a flat display against PAOK and had to rely on two moments of individual brilliance from Amad Diallo to grab their first Europa League win of the season on Thursday.
The remaining forwards struggled, especially Rasmus Hojlund who managed only four passes in 89 minutes. And despite his anonymous performance, Ruud van Nistelrooy had no choice but to keep him on.
That is because summer signing Joshua Zirkzee has really struggled since his move from Bologna and there are already question marks regarding his future.
Whether incoming head coach Ruben Amorim can get the best out of the duo will determine how the season unfolds for the Red Devils.
David being eyed
There are already murmurs that the Portuguese tactician will go after his Sporting Lisbon protege Viktor Gyokeres who is in red-hot form, scoring 23 goals in only 17 games this season.
But with plenty of other suitors in the race, it will not be that easy and that is why the Old Trafford side are keeping their options open.
Lille’s Jonathan David, with 13 goals and two assists in 18 games, is back on the club’s radar as per Corriere dello Sport and his contract situation makes him an attractive target.
The Canadian’s current deal expires in 2025 and he has so far refused to sign a contract extension and Lille are thus open to a January sale as they are looking to recoup a decent amount.
While the 24-year-old’s current market value stands at €45 million according to Transfermarkt, the Ligue 1 side are open to moving him on for €20 million with quite a few teams in the fray.
Apart from the 20-time English league champions, Arsenal, Liverpool and Juventus are also interested and it will be intriguing to see who ends up landing the Canadian.
Lots of suitors for David
“Juve, who could say goodbye to Milik in June, are exposed in attack. However, Jonathan David is highly sought after.
“Manchester United, not fully satisfied with the performance of Hojlund and Zirkzee, have already made their move, but Arsenal and Liverpool have also made their enquiries.”
David had netted 26 goals last term and would make a fine addition to United’s forward line which looks bereft of confidence currently. They had tried to sign him in the summer as well before ultimately zeroing in on Zirkzee.
But after the summer splurge and the exorbitant spend on Erik ten Hag’s dismissal and Amorim’s hiring, whether INEOS can afford a January move for the Lille striker remains to be seen.
Ayantan Chowdhury
Ayantan has worked for 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites but his heart was always set on writing about his favourite club. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25
