Michael Owen champions a "forgotten" attacker's return, arguing a broken team held him back. Could this Premier League star reignite Manchester United's attack?
Would you want to see Rasmus Hojlund return to Manchester United?
Manchester United are in a predicament for the attacking solutions next season, whilst many fans are pushing for a new midfielder and fullbacks to bolster squad depth, a new attacker seems to be on the cards in the transfer market.
Joshua Zirkzee seems to be on his way out, despite barely getting a look-in under the interim manager. In the cameos the Dutchman has made, he has been slightly underwhelming.
Carrick has used Zirkzee in just 33 minutes of the 13 games he has taken charge of. The 44-year-old obviously does not value Zirkzee as a viable alternative for Benjamin Šeško and Bryan Mbeumo, who have been stellar.
That said, Michael Owen has suggested that United retain a 'forgotten' Premier League star from his loan spell at the end of the season.
Owen wants Hojlund
Rasmus Hojlund has torn opinions between United fans for some time now, though his ability is obvious; his output suffered during his time at the Reds.
The Dane only scored 26 times in 95 matches for United, prompting the Reds to turn to the transfer market and sign Šeško, who has been impressive in his debut season.
Owen has suggested that the reason Hojlund failed to deliver during his time at the Reds is that, 'Strikers are the end of the chain, if the chain is broken, it’s pointless in many ways.'
Hojlund has shone during his time at Napoli, as they've sought to revamp their side with former Premier League stars, such as Kevin de Bruyne and former Red Scott McTominay.
It's safe to say the team is performing much better than they did under Eric ten Hag and Rúben Amorim; the resurgence of Kobie Mainoo and Bruno Fernandes has aided that improvement.
Owen supported this; 'He played in a Manchester United team that was broken and didn’t have any links and played poorly. Who’s to say he’s not really good? He’s doing really well in Italy now.'
What alternatives are there for Hojlund?
Hojlund's contract has a clause in it obligating Napoli to buy the 23-year-old if they qualify for the Champions League, which looks all but certain.
The most obvious alternative is to keep Zirkzee, who clearly can operate at the top level, the approximate £45 million fee United paid would suggest.
A serious option is 19-year-old Juniour kroupi from Bournemouth, who may be available for around £40 million. His rookie season in the Premier League has been outstanding, guiding the Cherries to European contention.
Another alternative would be the retention of Marcus Rashford, who has been operating across the frontline for Barcelona. The 28-year-old has also played as the number nine for United in the past, making his debut as a striker.
While Bryan Mbeumo has taken the frontline for United many times this season, a typical winger playing as the leading striker is something interim manager Michael Carrick is familiar with, and may intrigue the 44-year-old as a viable option if he is given the permanent role.