5 forwards who could partner Anthony Martial at Manchester United next season
As the 2015/16 EPL season draws to a close, it looks like the hard work has just begun for one team – Manchester United. A turbulent season has them sitting in 5th position in the Premier League, four points adrift of rivals Manchester City with only six games to go.
Although a top four finish is not out of the question yet, it looks unlikely, given the Red Devils’ inconsistent form and a lack of quality in their squad.
Through this turmoil, the one really bright spark for United has been the form of Anthony Martial. Still only 20, the Frenchman looks like a star in the making and has already shown evidence of his prodigious talent in outstanding performances against Southampton and Liverpool earlier this season.
Even though Louis van Gaal has deployed him on the left flank for much of the 2015/16 campaign, playing as a striker is certainly not beyond the tricky Frenchmen.
But with Wayne Rooney on the wrong side of 30 and looking more like a No. 9 rather than an out and out goal scorer, it looks like Anthony Martial could use some help to ensure United are able to challenge for top honours next season. Here, we look at 5 potential strikers who could form a lethal partnership with the Frenchmen up front in 2016/17.
1) Zlatan Ibrahimovic
The bad boy of football. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is, without question, one of the greatest players on the planet today. His record speaks for itself.
The Swedish striker has won trophies across Europe with title winning campaigns in Italy with Inter Milan and AC Milan, in Spain with Barcelona and in France with Paris Saint-Germain, where he currently plies his trade. He is also the captain and record goalscorer for his national team with 62 goals and counting.
He is skillful and is prolific in front of goal, having scored more than 350 goals for club and country, and has loads of experience with almost two decades of playing the beautiful game. Above all, he has already stated that this will be his last season is Paris.
On the other hand, he is 34. Although in a recent interview, Ibrahimovic stated that he is in the prime of his footballing life, and the stats definitely back that. With him being the leading scorer in Ligue 1 this season, a lot of managers will still think twice before signing the mercurial Swedish striker because of the age factor.
His lack of exposure to the physical English game compared to other leagues could also hinder his move. But there is no doubting the talent. At best, he could be termed as a short term fix. But considering the season United are having, even a temporary solution would do just fine.