In a recent interview with MondoNapoli, renowned journalist Ciro Venerato has mentioned that Manchester United are among clubs showing interest in Napoli forward Arkadiusz Milik. It is believed that the Naples outfit has held informal talks with the Red Devils along with Red Bull Leipzig, Manchester City, Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur over a potential move for the Polish striker.
Venerato said, “As for Milik, the intermediary told me that there’s informal talks with Leipzig, Manchester City, Manchester United, Fulham and Tottenham. The latter are the most reliable track, but the formula requested by Napoli does not convince Mourinho.”
Milik’s Decent Goal-Scoring Record At Naples
The Tychy-born forward was a valuable member of the Napoli squad despite being hampered by multiple injuries in the previous campaign. Milik has done well to bang in 14 goals in 35 appearances for Gennaro Gattuso’s team last season on all fronts.
The 26-year-old has been a decent goal-getter for the Italian outfit but failed to find consistency in terms of his overall contributions in the final third. He averaged 2.6 shots, 0.8 key passes and 0.3 dribbles per 90 minutes in the 2019-20 Serie A campaign. However, the Polish marksman has linked up play well with others around him after completing 82.3% of his attempted passes in top-flight football (stats via whoscored).
With just a year left to run in his contract at the San Paolo Stadium, Gattuso will have to consider cashing in on him this summer or else risk losing him for free at the end of this campaign. Milik needs regular first-team football if he wants to take his game to another level, so joining the Red Devils might not help his cause as he will have to play as a back-up to Anthony Martial, who remains Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s preferred option up top.
What Are The Polish International’s Best Attributes?
Milik has got remarkable upper-body strength that enables him to hold the ball up and get others involved in the attacking third. He is proficient at finding space for himself and getting a few shots in on-target. The Napoli striker has gradually converted himself into an unforgiving finisher in front of the opposition goal and has got an impressive goal-scoring record in the Serie A to show for his efforts. He is also a dead-ball specialist and can even contribute by scoring a few headers from indirect set-pieces.
Should Man United Make A Move For Milik This Summer?
Milik’s experience and prolific nature make him a perfect fit for Solskjaer’s team. His addition would go a long way in helping the Red Devils cope with fixture congestion better and compete across multiple competitions in the years to come.
However, the transfer would only make sense if Milik is willing to play a reserved role at the Theatre of Dreams. He will have to fight for his place with Martial and Odion Ighalo and might struggle to get regular first-team minutes under Solskjaer’s tutelage.
With all things considered, Man United should only make a move for Milik if they can tempt the player to assume a sporadic role at Old Trafford. Otherwise, the Mancunian outfit would be better of looking at some of their other targets to add more competition for the centre-forward position in Solskjaer’s first XI.
