Manchester United fans have been in a euphoric mood this past weekend with the news that the Red Devils have significantly revamped their midfield options with both Bastian Schweinsteiger and Morgan Schneiderlin arriving at Old Trafford.
In what has been a manic last week for everybody concerned with the club, this double swoop came on the back of the news that Robin van Persie will be trading Manchester for Istanbul and Fenerbahce this coming season.
While most United fans will admit that the Dutchman looked way beyond his best last season, they are still somewhat disappointed that his hot streak at Old Trafford didn’t last for longer in tandem with the stewardship of Sir Alex Ferguson.
But ultimately as our landlord reminds everybody, the show must go on and on the evidence of it, Louis van Gaal is hell bent on accelerating United into this season’s title race with the eye-catching captures of Schweinsteiger and Schneiderlin.
Despite this pair arriving, Robin van Persie’s departure does leave the Red Devils with some work to do in the transfer market in regards to bringing in a replacement for the former Arsenal man.
At present, only Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez represent United’s first team striking options and with the latter player in talks with MLS franchise Orlando City, the Red Devils will definitely need to bring in one, if not two more strikers this transfer window.
Could any of these five be winging their way into Old Trafford any time soon however?
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Click on the image below to reveal the 5 Robin van Persie replacements Manchester United should consider this summer.
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Diafra Sakho
A left-field transfer target in every regard, Manchester United fans were somewhat shocked to read in the Daily Mail a few days ago that the Red Devils have expressed an interest in West Ham United’s £15 million-rated striker Diafra Sakho.
Striking 10 goals in 23 appearances in his debut season with the Hammers last term, Sakho was one of the finds of the season and boasts the kind of raw ability that made him an instant hit with West Ham fans last season.
It is at this moment that a few United fans claim Sakho isn’t good enough for the Red Devils with the striker boasting nothing of an international pedigree with Senegal having only earned three caps for the national team.
That said, Sakho wouldn’t be a first team option at United with Wayne Rooney undoubtedly being the main man up top so perhaps a super-sub role for the Senegalese wouldn’t be such a bad idea as it appears upon first glance?
Christian Benteke
Christian Benteke has been more frequently linked with a summer switch to Liverpool this transfer window but some of our neutrals here in the tavern are wondering why Manchester United aren’t in for the Belgian’s signature.
While United boast more skilful forwards in both Wayne Rooney and Memphis Depay as their striking options right now, you feel they would benefit from having a different kind of striker altogether in Benteke.
A physical presence, Benteke boasts the ability to not only hold the ball up but instead beat defenders with brute strength and having this kind of plan B option would surely be to United’s benefit?
Some may say that he doesn’t suit United’s style of play under Louis van Gaal but lets face it, when Benteke is on form, who wouldn’t want to call on his services in their squad?
Karim Benzema
It looks as if Karim Benzema will remain a Real Madrid player for next season at present with no firm indications that he is looking for a way out of the Bernabeu.
Undoubtedly the most high profile player on our five-man shortlist, Benzema is revered by most as a truly world class striker although some claim he may struggle without the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo around him at pastures new.
If the truth be told, Benzema has been living in Ronaldo’s shadow at Real Madrid and there were rumours recently that claimed Rafael Benitez had designs on utilising the Portuguese as a central striker with Los Blancos next season.
This remains to be seen of course but we have seen with Real Madrid in recent seasons that they do end up strangely shifting on first team regulars such as Angel Di Maria and Mesut Ozil so who knows, Benzema could become the next?
Alexandre Lacazette
Alexandre Lacazette has been trailed by seemingly all of Europe in this summer’s transfer window so far and the speculation regarding his future reached fever pitch over the weekend.
Favoriting a tweet that linked him with a summer switch to Arsenal, Gooners did their usual routine but getting absolutely hysterical at this news only for the French international to swiftly un-favourite the tweet.
While Mathieu Debuchy of course did this last summer ahead of completing his switch to Emirates Stadium, we think Lacazette’s future is still far from certain right now and with Manchester United upping the ante in the transfer market of late, we’re not ruling out United making a play for the Frenchman.
While Arsenal fans will claim their club weren’t in for him, we’ve seen with United’s capture of Schneiderlin that United can be ruthless in the market and perhaps this attitude will see them usurp the Gunners in the race for Lacazette.
Harry Kane
Some of our regulars in the tavern reckon that a large bid for Tottenham’s Harry Kane is a formality for Manchester United this summer.
Several reports have linked the Red Devils with a £40 million swoop for the Spurs talisman and while you’d imagine that Daniel Levy would suffer something of a fan revolt at Spurs if he cashed in on the England international, United’s power in the transfer market cannot be underestimated.
Spurs have proved they’re a selling club in the past cashing in on both Michael Carrick and Dimitar Berbatov who of course joined Manchester United and we wonder whether Kane could be the next to make an Old Trafford move.
Neutrals in the tavern believe this deal will be a long shot but if completed, it would be almost as big as Raheem Sterling’s switch to Manchester City.
