When it has come to the art of scoring goals so far this season, Manchester United have not been as prolific as the rest of their respective top-four rivals.
The Reds, who signed off for the World Cup pause with a dramatic 2-1 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage last Sunday afternoon, have scored just 20 goals in the Premier League so far this season, the lowest tally of any club currently camped inside the top-seven. Only Chelsea have scored fewer (17) in the top half of the table, too.
United have struggled to put the ball in the back of the net on a regular basis, certainly at a rapid rate, scoring just three goals on two occasions in the Premier League so far this term, one of which occasions came in the 6-3 defeat to Manchester City. They have failed to be overly convincing in front of goal, meaning question marks have been raised about what their priority must be in the upcoming January transfer window.
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They have failed to discover a consistent source of goals that they can regularly call upon, with Cristiano Ronaldo, although his Reds career is now as good as over, having struggled for form and consistency and Martial's fitness proving fragile. Marcus Rashford, who has eight goals in all competitions so far this term, has offered plenty of encouragement, but he is yet to prove his consistency, failing to score in back-to-back league games so far.
By comparison, the likes of Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur have strikers who are consistently delivering the goods in Erling Haaland and Harry Kane, respectively. Between them, those two have scored ten more goals than United have managed as a collective in the league this season.
United, if they are to continue to try and bridge the gap on the Premier League's big hitters, need a consistent source of goals from somewhere. Signing a striker is set to take preference in the next stage of their rebuilding project and they have already identified Victor Osimhen as a player of interest, although any move for him is unlikely to come until next summer.
But such is the situation surrounding Ronaldo's unlikely future at Old Trafford, United might have to find a short-term solution in January, so long as they find the right type of player. The Portuguese's explosive interview with Piers Morgan has threatened to transform the Reds' transfer plans for 2023, as they may have been happy to bide their time until the summer when looking to recruit a new goal-getter.
Although Ronaldo's outburst threatens to speed up United's recruitment plans, they needed a striker all along during the summer, even when the 37-year-old was still part of Erik ten Hag's plans, according to former captain Gary Neville. He, back in June, highlighted the importance of the Reds adding to their attacking options and bolstering their forward options.
"We know the areas they absolutely need to actually strengthen," Neville told United's club website. "Central-midfield is an absolute necessity. An absolute necessity. Manchester United need midfield players.
"They also need a centre forward. I know Cristiano Ronaldo is likely to stay and he's an absolutely brilliant performer, but they need a centre-forward. Centre-forward is a must."
Since Neville made that admission several months ago, the landscape in relation to Ronaldo's future has drastically changed. With United considering terminating Ronaldo's contact at Old Trafford, the Reds might have no choice but to dip into the market for a striker earlier than planned.
But considering they have struggled for goals this season regardless of the situation surrounding the 37-year-old, Neville might be about to get his wish.
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