Manchester United have had a turbulent end to the transfer window, overcoming the backlash from their pursuit of veteran forward Marko Arnautovic to sign Casemiro from Real Madrid.
Erik ten Hag must now hope that the Brazilian international can replicate his Real Madrid success at Old Trafford in a way that Raphael Varane has completely failed to do.
Other new signings have yet to settle in, with Lisandro Martinez in particular having had a difficult start to life with United. Man United’s targets Despite abandoning their pursuit of the 33-year-old Arnautovic, United still requires new blood throughout the squad as they attempt to recover from a dismal start to the season. Here are some African players they could sign.
Hakim Ziyech The Daily Star reported earlier this month that after failing to sign Chelsea forward Timo Werner, United had turned their attention to Ziyech. In reality, things haven’t gone smoothly for the Moroccan playmaker since he arrived at Stamford Bridge, with injuries and fitness issues marring his time in West London.
He’s only had a hand in 12 league goals in his first two seasons in England, but at 29, and brimming with creativity, he could be a valuable asset for the Red Devils. Victor Osimhen Nothing improves a club’s fortunes like a consistent goalscorer, and Osimhen could be the man to propel United back to their former glory. Last season, he scored 14 goals to help Napoli qualify for the Champions League, and he added a goal and an assist in the Partenopei’s season opener against Hellas Verona last weekend. At 23, he’s still a work in progress, but his stature would help him arrive in England and lead the line from the start at Old Trafford. Could his fractious relationship with Luciano Spalletti open the door for United to make a move? Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Aubameyang, whose promising start to life at Barcelona has been thrown into disarray by the arrival of Robert Lewandowski, is another elite goal-scoring option for United. Predictably, Auba was benched for Barcelona’s La Liga opener against Rayo Vallecano, with Lewy leading the line, and neither player is likely to be content to play second fiddle this season.
The ex-Arsenal forward has been linked with a move to Chelsea during the offseason, but why aren’t United interested in a player who has a lot to prove in the Premier League? Wilfried Zaha It’s perplexing that United would consider signing a veteran like Arnautovic when they have a player like Zaha in the Premier League right under their noses. Not only is Zaha 29 years younger than the ex-West Ham United man, but he’s also scored 25 goals in the Premier League in the last two seasons.
He’s at the top of his game, having scored three goals in three games so far in 22-23, and could be available for a bargain given his contractual situation. Given Zaha’s brief and unsuccessful spell at Old Trafford, he, like Auba, may have something to prove at United. Samuel Chukwueze Chuwkueze demonstrated his impact in a variety of areas from the beginning of November until the end of last season, having returned to top fitness following injury problems in 20-21.
Chukwueze’s expected assists (xA) per 95 minutes during his period were 0.32, ranking him eighth in La Liga. He had an assist for Alex Baena only 18 minutes into the new season and should have a bigger impact in the final third for Villarreal this year. Ten Hag could certainly polish a talent who, at times, appeared to be lost in Spain and, at 23, could benefit from a change of scenery.
