A comparison between Manchester United's struggles with their new strikers, Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee, and the success of Newcastle's Alexander Isak highlights the Red Devils' recruitment challenges.
It will be the £72m striker against the £63m striker at Old Trafford on Monday night, and it could be another eye-opening evening for Manchester United 's recruitment in recent years. Alexander Isak arrived at Newcastle the same summer as Erik ten Hag took over at Old Trafford. While United were forcing through an £85m move for Antony in the final days of the 2022 window, the Magpies were signing Isak for £63m.
A year later United had to move for a striker and spent an initial £64m, rising to £72m, on Rasmus Hojlund, a fee that is yet to look like value. Countless column inches have been devoted to United's toothless attack, and after a bright beginning under Ruben Amorim, it has ground to a halt once again. An outlay of £108.5m on Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee has produced five Premier League goals. In contrast, Isak has 11 in 16 league games this season. The Swede will be licking his lips at the chance of adding to that tally at Old Trafford against a United side who have lost four of their last five Premier League fixtures. United desperately need their own attack to click. In signing Hojlund and Zirkzee, they have gambled on potential, but what they have at the moment is inconsistency. Zirkzee has flattered to deceive and already looks ill-suited to Amorim's system. Hojlund has shown more promise, but for every bright game, such as his double against Viktoria Plzen, he has games where he disappears from view and finds it hard to influence matches. At 21, he is far from the finished article, and United need a more complete striker. Amorim has taken to rotating his strikers, and although it's a very simple analysis, there are times when you watch Hojlund and think Zirkzee should start and then times when you watch Zirkzee and think Hojlund should start. What they wouldn't give for a striker of Isak's class. United stepped away from any effort to sign Harry Kane in 2023 because they didn't want to deal with Daniel Lev
Manchester United Newcastle Alexander Isak Rasmus Hojlund Joshua Zirkzee
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