Manchester United’s search for a centre-forward continues as the club try to fill up the position that had been vacated by the departure of Romelu Lukaku to Inter last summer. Although Odion Ighalo has been brought in on loan from China, a more permanent solution is what the club and the supporters would like.
However, the recent report by The Times would not please the club too much as it states that Juventus are in contention to sign Man United target Raúl Jiménez, a player the club had identified as the replacement for the Belgian. With Wolverhampton Wanderers open to selling the forward, it would be upon the player to decide his next destination.
Jiménez’s impact in the Premier League
The Wolves player could not make himself a regular at Benfica in his three years stint, and this prompted the Portuguese club to let him go in the summer of 2018. After arriving in England, the forward had to endure some difficult times. Jiménez missed some horrendous chances for his side, and it did not look like the Mexican was there for the long haul. However, largely due to lack of a better alternative at the time, Nuno Espírito Santo stuck with him, and soon it started to reap the benefits.
Soon Jiménez proved his mettle going forward and went from strength to strength. The forward made the others feed off his towering presence in the opposition half and even scored 13 goals from 29 Premier League matches this term.
The Mexican star also had some brilliant displays for his nation and scored eight goals in 12 appearances. The ex-Atletico star is the ideal example of a player who can use his conviction and perseverance to get over any obstacle and eventually make a mark with his achievements.
What should Manchester United do?
It is no secret that Ole Gunnar Solskjær needs an able forward to continue the progress that the team have been showing under his stewardship before the halt of the Premier League. In that regard, Jiménez would be an ideal player for the Norwegian manager as he has all the attributes to be one of the most lethal strikers in the league. At 29, the Wolves man still has a few good years left in him, and Man United would be able to utilise that to the fullest.
Moreover, if Jiménez can wreak such havoc with the assistance of players like Adama Traoré, the quantum to which he can cause damage to the others with players like Bruno Fernandes and Rashford is anybody’s guess. Overall, it can be safely said that Manchester United should go all out in their chase for the forward and keep the other suitors at bay.
