Three forwards Manchester United should consider signing

Manchester United have been a club known for scoring goals ever since time immemorial. This has been in no small part due to the quality of the forwards possessed by the club. Eric Cantona, Mark Hughes Andy Cole, Dwight Yorke, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov and Robin van Persie are some of the names that come to mind when one thinks of top-class United forwards. One could even include the current manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in that illustrious list and be justified. He was known to do serious damage off the bench and scored some vital goals for the Red Devils.

Ever since the departure of Romelu Lukaku to Inter Milan, the club faithful have waited with bated breath to see who would be chosen to replace a natural goalscorer in a side not known for scoring freely. For any number of reasons ranging from the market conditions to an inability to close the deal, no replacement was signed.

No one is surprised that United have scored a paltry 16 goals in 12 Premier League games this season. Newly-promoted Aston Villa have scored more goals than United and they sit just one spot above the relegation spots. As a result, It is hardly surprising that United have been linked with numerous players to help with their goalscoring woes.

Anthony Martial's return to fitness has considerably improved the side and Mason Greenwood, who is highly rated at 18, is being groomed for a starting role in a year or two. Recent performances show that Marcus Rashford's best position may be on the left side and then darting in. As a result, United would certainly consider a market opportunity to improve their fortunes. Let's look at the players who could be signed to take the Red Devils back to the top.

#3 Erling Braut Haaland

The 19-year-old Norwegian is the name on everyone's lips. With 26 goals and six assists in 18 games this season, Braut Haaland has been a revelation. In his maiden Champions League season, Braut Haaland is the leading goalscorer with seven to his name, ahead of Robert Lewandowski, who has been in unstoppable form this season with six. The fact that he has done it for RB Salzburg while playing and scoring against Napoli, Liverpool and Genk is no mean feat.

He is the son of Alf-Inge Haaland, who played for Manchester City and Leeds during his playing career. It doesn't augur well for United fans to know that his career was ended due to an injury suffered from a horrendous tackle by Roy Keane. What does count in United's favour is that Solskjaer has already managed Braut Haaland at Molde in Norway. It is clear that he made a positive impression on the young striker.

With reports of Solskjaer having sent his personal scout, Simon Wells to watch the teenager, United may be preparing to table a January bid.

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#2 Lautaro Martinez

With eight goals and three assists this season, the Argentine has been in great form for Inter. He has already formed a fearsome partnership with former United man Lukaku, which has led to Inter breathing down Juventus's neck in Serie A.

The 22 year-old is a well-rounded forward who is quick, strong and certainly knows where the goal is. Lautaro Martinez's movement, finishing and involvement in build-up play has endeared him to the Nerazzurri fans. His readiness to work hard for the team and press the opposition defenders consistently is something that will be appreciated by Solskjaer and the United fans. One season under Antonio Conte will do no harm to his development.

Such has been his rise that Inter were comfortable in loaning out former captain Mauro Icardi to Paris Saint-Germain. He has been rewarded by regular call-ups to the Argentina national team ahead of Icardi.

He has also earned the respect of national team captain Lionel Messi. As a result, he has been mooted as a potential replacement for the ageing Luis Suarez. The price of €111 million being quoted by Inter may prove too steep for FC Barcelona who need to sell players to balance their books. The price would not be a problem for United since they're in a healthy financial condition while still sitting on the transfer fee received for Lukaku.

It must be noted that Inter are a side on the up. They are looking to challenge Juventus's monopoly in Italy while competing in Europe. Conte would not be pleased with losing a key cog in his system one year into his tenure. While Inter are not obligated to sell, United have the means to tempt them.

#1 Harry Kane

At first glance, a move for Harry Kane would seem preposterous. Why would he move from the Champions League finalists to a side struggling to get into the top four? The uncertainty around the future of manager Mauricio Pochettino and key members of the squad such as Eriksen, Vertonghen and Alderweireld has contributed to a steep downfall for the club from North London. Languishing in 14th place in the league, they faced utter humiliation at home against Bayern Munich, losing 2-7. With rumours of European heavyweights looking to entice Pochettino, the club may not be able to keep Kane if they lose the manager and their core without replacing both adequately.

Roy Keane suggested United go for Kane. It seemed laughable when he said it, but how many fans expected van Persie to sign for United when he was Arsenal's captain? Not a lot. Yet, it happened.

Kane is as close to a guarantee as you can get in terms of goals, scoring consistently for club and country. For the superstitious, United are known to have England's leading scorer in the club, starting from Bobby Charlton to Wayne Rooney. With 31 goals in 44 caps, it only seems like a matter of time before Kane goes past Rooney's record of 53 goals in 119 caps to become their leading goalscorer of all-time. United would surely prefer to continue the trend of having the country's leading goalscorer on their books.

Spurs fans may rest easy as Solskjaer did address these rumours in a presser when he suggested that he trusts fit-again Anthony Martial to do the job as a number nine, although he admires Kane's ability to finish chances. Time will tell whether Solskjaer was telling the truth.

Edited by A. Ayush Chatterjee