Man Utd targeting Zirkzee alternative who’s "like Cristiano Ronaldo"
Since the end of the Sir Alex Ferguson era, Manchester United have struggled to find a striker who can guarantee them goals. There were plenty of deadly marksmen under the legendary Scot, but since his retirement in 2013, the Red Devils have not managed to find someone who can hit the back of the net consistently.
However, that is not for lack of trying to find a replacement. They have had many centre-forwards over the years, some have had more success than others. Radamel Falcao struggled to make an impact in red and scored just four times during his one-year loan stint at Old Trafford in 2014/15.
The likes of Romelu Lukaku and Edinson Cavani also represented the club, two of the 21st century’s biggest names. Lukaku’s numbers were not bad, with 42 goals in 96 games, and Cavani was excellent, but sadly injury-prone. The Uruguayan scored 19 goals in 59 outings for the Red Devils.
Of course, the biggest of these names is Cristiano Ronaldo. The legendary Portugal striker scored 27 goals across 54 appearances during his second spell at the club but fell out with Erik ten Hag and left the club.
United are still looking to find the perfect striker to consistently find the back of the net. With the transfer window now open, they have been linked with one man who could be their main man up front.
Man Utd target Premier League striker
The player in question here is Everton and England international Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The 27-year-old has been consistently linked with a move away from Goodison Park this summer, with United offering a potential destination for the striker.
At least, that is according to a report from The Athletic who report that 'talks have taken place' amongst the new hierarchy at Old Trafford for a potential deal with Calvert-Lewin, with Brentford striker Ivan Toney also under consideration.
According to the report, Everton are 'open to selling' their talismanic striker this summer, due to their current financial issues, as opposed to letting him leave for free once his contract expires next summer.
A deal for the Englishman would cost around £30m and may well represent an alternative to Joshua Zirkzee. The Dutchman is said to be closing in on a move to Old Trafford according to some reports.
Why Calvert-Lewin would be a good signing
The Everton striker played 32 times in the Premier League last season, scoring seven goals and registering two assists along the way. However, his best season in the top flight came in 2020/21, when Calvert-Lewin bagged 16 times in 33 appearances.
2016/17
11
1
0
2017/18
32
4
5
2018/19
35
6
2
2019/20
36
13
1
2020/21
33
16
1
2021/22
17
5
2
2022/23
17
2
1
2023/24
32
7
2
That season, the Englishman played under one of the all-time great managers, Carlo Ancelotti. Football talent scout Jacek Kulig called the striker a “pure poacher”, explaining that the Italian turned Calvert-Lewin into “a monster” of a centre-forward. He may not be so prolific anymore but he still has some exciting attributes that help him live up to Ancelotti's billing of a few years ago.
Indeed, in terms of his profile, the Englishman uses his height to his advantage and is widely renowned as one of the best strikers in the air in the Premier League, with Richarlison once suggesting that he has a "leap on him like Cristiano Ronaldo".
He is also excellent in the penalty box and can sniff out a chance with great instinct like any top striker, hence why Kulig called him a “poacher”.
One of the things to be cautious about when it comes to Calvert-Lewin is his injury record. Whilst, last season, his fitness issues were not as bad as previous campaigns, the Englishman has missed a lot of football in recent times. In 2021/22, he missed 34 matches with injury, and 2022/23 was not much better. The Everton number nine missed 29 games sidelined with an injury.
He is a different profile to Rasmus Hojlund, who likes to run the channels rather than hold the ball up. This is something which was pointed out by football analyst Adam Bate in an article with Sky Sports, who explained that the young Dane “would prefer to be running channels, finding space with his movement” rather than act as the hold-up striker Ten Hag used him as last season.
According to Fbref, last season in the Premier League, Calvert-Lewin averaged 5.68 aerial duels won per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the top 3% of strikers in the division. This gave him a win rate of 48.8%, placing him in the top 13% of strikers.
His instinct in front of goal is also backed up by the stats from Fbref. Calvert-Lewin’s expected goals per game last season in the top flight was 0.53xG, ranking him in the top 17% of centre forwards. He also averaged 0.12 shots per game which then led to a goal-scoring shot, which placed him in the top 7%.
He has had previous successes against Manchester United for the Toffees. The England international grabbed a goal and an assist in a memorable 3-3 draw at Old Trafford during 2020/21, against a Red Devils defence that included Harry Maguire and David de Gea. His 95th-minute equaliser broke United hearts at the death having dominated the club's defence.
Should the Red Devils look to sign Calvert-Lewin this summer, he could become the centre-forward United have lacked in the years since Ferguson left the club. Although he has struggled with injuries in recent seasons, he is a quality penalty box striker with an eye for goal and offers something completely different to Rasmus Hojlund. For £30m, it could be an excellent deal for United.
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