Manchester United fans have been growingly increasingly frustrated by their side’s lack of activity in the summer so far.
There’s a fear the same could prove costly for new manager Erik ten Hag who is tasked with trying to overhaul an underperforming squad and replace a number of key departees like Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard and Nemanja Matic who left on free transfers.
Enhancing the frustration is the fact big rivals Liverpool and Manchester City have been busy, sealing big-money deals for Darwin Nunez and Erling Haaland respectively.
United need another striker to relieve the burden on Cristiano Ronaldo, but while Ten Hag and United officials would have drawn up their list of targets, securing their signatures is proving more tricky than predicted.
And their pursuit isn’t helped by the lack of Champions League football on offer at Old Trafford next season. Many of United’s top targets are already at clubs competing in Europe’s premier competition, and therefore joining the Reds could be seen as a backwards step.
If United are to get the ball rolling in terms of bringing in new players, then they may need to be a bit savvier initially, chasing standout stars who have perhaps drifted under the radar of their rivals. With that in mind, Mirror Football has highlighted three forwards United should take a gamble on this summer.
Giovanni Simeone - Verona
Up until recently, Simeone was better known for being the son of Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone, rather than due to his own footballing performances.
The 26-year-old’s career had stalled and he was allowed to leave Cagliari on loan last summer. With Hellas Verona though he’s found a new lease of life. After scoring just six Serie A goals in the campaign prior, Simeone finished last season having found the back of the net on 17 occasions.
Impressively, all of those strikes came from open play and only eight players from across Europe's top five leagues managed to score more open play goals.
This remarkable turnaround in form can be attributed to the way in which he’s been used this season. At Cagliari, he often formed part of a front two, tasked with scoring goals but also trying to create them. With Verona though he spearheaded the attack on his own, allowed to stay in the penalty area more often and solely focus on converting chances that come his way
Though Verona have understandably triggered the €10.5m buy option that was included in the loan deal, they would be open to selling this summer in order to make a quick profit.
Martin Terrier - Rennes
Terrier is another player who’s only really burst into life this past season. He’s illustrated himself as a well-rounded attacker who can play a number of different positions comfortably. Across the last campaign, the six-foot forward featured as a centre-forward, as a second-striker, as an attacking midfielder and even on the wing.
His first full season with Rennes came in the 2020/21 campaign when he scored a solid nine league goals while registering a further seven assists. Last season though he hit a whole new level, netting 21 times.
While he’s had an understated career to date, it surely won’t be long before he’s snapped up by one of Europe’s bigger clubs.
Mohamed Bayo - Clermont
Another player who has thrived in Ligue 1 this season is Clermont forward Bayo. His side just about avoided relegation, finishing 17th, and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Bayo played a massive role in that. His 14 league strikes represented nearly 40 per cent of all their league goals.
The 24-year-old stands at an imposing 6ft2, making him a great target man and a real handful for opposition defenders. However, he’s not the best in the air considering his size - only one of his goals last season came from a header.
Instead, he’s got better technical ability than most would initially give him credit for. He looks after the ball well, has a good first touch and has proven to be a lethal finisher.
More so than other players mentioned, it’s hard to predict whether he’s got the ability to thrive at a club the size of United. However, reports suggest he’s available for approximately just £8m this summer, making a potential deal a low risk investment if United did want to take a chance on him.
