Former striker Dimitar Berbatov has outlined what Manchester United must look for when it comes to signing a striker this summer, insisting that the chosen candidate must hit a range of different criteria.
United, who will get their pre-season preparations underway against Leeds United in Oslo in three weeks' time, are desperate to strengthen their attacking options this summer with the addition of a new No.9. United, with the exception of Marcus Rashford, were unable to rely on a consistent goalscorer in 2022/23, meaning manager Erik ten Hag has prioritised the signing of a new centre-forward.
As revealed by the Manchester Evening News back in March, the Dutchman has pinpointed Tottenham Hotspur ace Harry Kane as his top target, but United are understood to be working under the assumption that Spurs will not sell the England captain. They are continuing to monitor other options.
The likes of Atalanta ace Rasmus Hojlund and Randal Kolo Muani of Eintracht Frankfurt are two of the names under consideration. However, regardless of who United manage to strengthen their forward line with, Berbatov, who scored 56 goals in 149 games for the Reds, believes any incoming striker must reach very high standards.
READ MORE: Why United are selling Zidane Iqbal
"I believe Manchester United need a proven goalscorer at the moment," Berbatov told Betfred. "They need a striker that's proven, in their mid-twenties, confident, experienced, wants to join United and is capable of fitting into Erik ten Hag's system.
"There's a lot of factors in play and sometimes it's difficult to decide upon which striker would suit your team best. They need to sign a player that can score 20 to 25 Premier League goals a season and as I've previously said, I would like them to make a move for Napoli's Victor Osimhen.
"They can try for him, but if they don't succeed, then they need to go for someone else as they desperately need a striker that's capable of playing with his back to goal, that can pick a pass at the right time and more importantly, they need to be a player that can be in the right position, at the right time and score many goals.
"Whoever they go for, it needs to be somebody with the full package as this is United we’re talking about."
