According to a recent report by Calciomercato, Manchester United have joined Lazio, Burnley, Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur and AS Monaco in the race to acquire the signature of Vedat Muriqi from Fenerbahce next summer. The same source has mentioned that the hunt for the Kosovo-Albanian forward is getting fierce with the Clarets preparing a €35m offer to secure his services at the end of this campaign.
The Turkish Super Lig striker’s current contract at Fenerbahce will run out in the summer of 2023. Hence, the Istanbul-based club will be under no pressure to sell unless they receive a suitable offer that meets their valuation. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has the funds to blow away the competition but whether he will have the backing of the Man United board to pull off such a questionable transfer, remains to be seen.
Do Man United Need Another Forward?
With ESPN now reporting that Odion Ighalo won’t be able to join the training camp in Spain due to potential travel restrictions due to the threat of the coronavirus, the Red Devils have suffered a blow in the attacking department. Fortunately, Solskjaer opted to strengthen his attacking options at Old Trafford even further by signing Bruno Fernandes last month so that the Portuguese midfielder can ease the goal-scoring burden of Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood up top. In the absence of the injured Rashford, the Mancunian outfit are currently going through another period of transition as Solskjaer looks to find the winning formula without disrupting the growth of his younger stars.
It is not a certainty that a semi-prolific forward from the Turkish Super Lig will be able to hit the ground running in the Premier League as well. The underwhelming spell of Cenk Tosun at Everton should serve as proof that Man United will be taking a huge gamble if they decide to move in for the Kosovo-Albanian forward this summer.
The 25-year-old has banged in 13 goals and provided five assists in 21 matches for Fenerbahce this season in all competitions. He also has a decent goal-scoring record for Kosovo at the international level, having registered eight goals in 23 appearances for his nation. It is also worth noting that the Prizren-born talent has averaged 3.8 tackles, 1.7 key passes and 1.0 dribbles per game in the Turkish first division (stats via whoscored).
What Will The Kosovo-Albanian Forward Add To Ole’s Team?
Muriqi will not only bring a lot of goals to Old Trafford but will also offer a creative edge to Solskjaer’s attack. However, as mentioned earlier, there are no guarantees that the forward will be able to successfully carry his form to the Premier League unless he can find a way to cope with the physicality and high intensity of English football.
Muriqi has remarkable strength, but he lacks the pace to be a constant menace in the final third. Solskjaer will be better off going for him this summer but only if he is considering the Kosovan forward to be his ‘Plan B’ at the Theatre of Dreams. The Super Lig marksman has the skill set to be a decent option off the bench when the Red Devils are looking for a suitable target man up top.
Muriqi’s physical strengths will undoubtedly come to the forefront when Man United are trying to bombard the opposition penalty box with inviting crosses from midfield and the wide positions in search of a match-saving equaliser or a game-winning goal.
