Manchester United have struggled massively in front of goal this campaign and have scored a mere 27 goals in 22 games with only five teams scoring fewer than them this season.
The club’s No 9 Rasmus Hojlund has not scored in over a month now while summer signing Joshua Zirkzee has looked more of a link-up player than a ruthless finisher.
To make matters worse, both goalscoring wingers — Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho seem to be on their way out in this window. With the club languishing in 13th position in the league, Ruben Amorim has asked INEOS for reinforcements.
The Portuguese initially asked for his former Sporting Lisbon protege Viktor Gyokeres but a mid-season move is unlikely owing to the price involved as well as the coach’s promise to his former employers.
United need goalscorers
With both the Mancunian and Argentine leaving it very late to secure exits, the Red Devils could be forced into hasty decisions and Givemesport have claimed they could be forced into a late loan deal for a Barcelona prodigy.
Rashford’s move to the Catalan giants has been held up due to Ansu Fati’s reluctance to leave but should United offer him a short-term contract, the Spaniard would find it hard to turn down.
While the 20-time English league champions would prefer only permanent incomings instead of short-term loans, they are being forced to keep their options open in case of any deadline day madness.
“Players like Barcelona’s Ansu Fati could yet emerge as short-term solutions to bolster the squad for the remainder of the season.
“While Fati’s availability will become clearer in the coming days, he offers proven quality without the long-term commitment of a permanent deal.
Fati emerging as surprise loan option
“Manchester United sources insist a straight loan would not be tempting as the club would prefer players who fit into a long-term strategy rather than temporary stop gaps. But they may have to reconsider such a stance if they are desperately searching for talent in the final days of the window.”
It is clear to see why the Camp Nou outfit want the 22-year-old gone with Fati not registering a single goal or assist so far this campaign.
INEOS will find him an alluring option due to the Spain international’s age and his Premier League experience. He was at Brighton on loan last season. And he can operate on both flanks, which is another bonus.
Not too long ago, he was being hailed as the “next Lionel Messi” but injuries have robbed him of chances and he might be forced to look elsewhere, whether it be United or some other club, for regular minutes.
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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
