"I would take him" - Owen Hargraves urges Manchester United to sign former Chelsea and Liverpool forward to solve goalscoring issues
Former Manchester United star Owen Hargreaves has urged the Red Devils to go all out and sign Liverpool forward Dominik Solanke ahead of the winter transfer window. The defensive midfielder-turned-pundit believes Solanke would help the Red Devils address their goalscoring woes.
Solanke is no stranger in the Premier League. The attacker represented Liverpool between 2017 and 2019 but couldn't displace the trio of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane.
He left for Bournemouth and has taken his game to a new level, bagging 65 goals in six seasons across competitions.
Speaking ahead of Manchester United's Premier League clash with Liverpool this weekend, Hargreaves said that he'd like to see Solanke at Old Trafford.
“I would take him at Manchester United, all day. At Chelsea, he was the prized academy player," the former defensive midfielder told The Metro.
“He went to Liverpool with that brilliant front three, that generational front three. He was never going to break into that. But I think he would have learnt and been mentored from Firmino, Mane and Salah. We saw it with Wilf (Zaha) when he went to Manchester United. He wasn’t ready. He was too young."
It goes without saying that Dominik Solanke has started the 2023-24 season on a brilliant note. He's made 19 appearances for Bournemouth across competitions, bagging nine goals and one assist. Hargreaves believes the attacker is destined for a big move in the near future, be it to Manchester United or elsewhere.
“I think now Solanke, he will get another big move. Whether it’s Man United or not. But to get a kid that big and technically that good, who is smart enough, can run the channels and press. He will get another chance at the top, I am certain," the Englishman added.
Solanke recently proved what's capable of by opening the scoring last weekend in a 3-0 win at Manchester United for Bournemouth at the weekend.
What's next for Manchester United?
Following their 1-0 midweek UEFA Champions League loss to Bayern Munich, which condemned them to a premature exit from the competition, United switch their focus to the Premier League as they hope to put their struggles behind.
The Red Devils take on Liverpool in a highly anticipated face-off at Anfield on Sunday (December 17). Erik ten Hag's men will be eager to return to winning ways after losing their last two games across competitions.
However, it wouldn't be an easy task. Jurgen Klopp's side have proven to be a nightmare to United in recent years, especially at home. They will also be entering the game with more confidence, as they sit atop the Premier League table with 37 points from 16 games, 10 ahead of the Red Devils.