Michael Owen picks out striker to end stop-gap signings at Man Utd

Michael Owen has picked out the perfect signing for Manchester United to end their run of purchasing stop-gap strikers.

Henrik Larsson, Robin van Persie, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and most recently Edinson Cavani have all been signed at United in the twilight of their careers.

They have all made sizeable contributions but Owen wants United to land a striker who can remain at Old Trafford for 10 years.

And Owen, 41, believes that Erling Haaland is the man for United.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was chasing the prolific forward last January. The pair worked together at Molde and Solskjaer flew out to see the 20-year-old after he blasted 29 goals in 27 games for RedBull Salzburg.

United though apparently baulked at the agent’s fee involved in a deal for Haaland. Instead the Norwegian secured a move to Borussia Dortmund for just £17.2m.

Furthermore, it’s claimed Ed Woodward was opposed to the insistence of the Haaland camp that a release clause be inserted into his Old Trafford contract.

Erling Haaland

That clause has since been inserted into his deal at Dortmund. This states he can now leave the Westfallonstadion in 2022 should any club match his £63m release fee.

And Owen is urging United to go for the prolific forward once again.

Owen told Stadium Astro: “If you look at the recent past of Manchester United, they have been buying a lot of players that have been coming to the twilight of their career – when you look at Cavani, before that Ibrahimovic, before that Van Persie, Henrik Larsson.

“They have gone for players right at the end of their career. The last one they bought early on in their career is Wayne Rooney. At least then you have got a player that is going to last you for 10 years.

“At the moment, Manchester United have struggled to find that young player that is going to take them all the way as a No 9. I think the one player out there that springs to mind, a player that could be in their team for 10 years and stop them having to buy stop-gaps all the time, is Haaland at Dortmund. He is the player on everybody’s lips at the moment.”

 

 

 

Shearer sanctions Haaland move

Alan Shearer also believes Haaland would be a good fit for United to make the most of Bruno Fernandes’ creativity.

He told Match of the Day: “Cavani, they’ve got him. He’s 34 in February. Greenwood may be that man in two or three years time because he’s got fantastic potential.

“But I think they need a top-class centre forward in this team.

“Greenwood and Rashford should be in and around that six yard box. There’s no one there, no one at all, nothing on for Bruno.


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“He needs more options, he needs a forward in there who will put the ball in the back of the net.

“They’ve got to get in there more often. It was far, far too easy an afternoon for [John] Stones and for [Ruben] Dias. That’s what I think they’re lacking and it showed today.”

When quizzed on who Shearer thinks United should try and sign, he added very simply: “Haaland or Mbappe.”

READ MORE: Solskjaer names Man Utd man raring to go