Ten Hag’s £88m “monster” target who’s “more complete than Haaland” could be Manchester United’s next RVP
Following the mutual termination of Cristiano Ronaldo’s contract in November, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial are the only established players capable of assuming the talismanic role for Manchester United.
And now that the January transfer window is open, the Red Devils will inevitably leave a trail of rumors with every minor move, but there is one prominent forward who could ignite the club’s trophy-seeking ambitions.
United manager Erik ten Hag has been interested in Juventus’ prolific striker Dusan Vlahovic since Ronaldo’s departure, according to reports from the final months of 2022. Vlahovic joined Juventus from Fiorentina for £66.6 million in January of this year.
Since then, his value has increased significantly, and it will likely cost around €100m (£88m) for him to don the famous red shirt of the Premier League.
And because United failed to sign Cody Gakpo, who had been of interest to Old Trafford since the summer but ultimately joined Liverpool for £35 million, there are doubts regarding the likelihood of a concrete move this winter.
Vlahovic, still only 22 years old, exploded onto the scene in the Italian Serie A and captivated La Viola fans with his devastating shots and natural goal-scoring instincts.
For Fiorentina, he scored 49 goals and dished out eight assists in only 108 appearances, remarkable numbers for a star in the early stages of his professional career.
And last year, in the campaign in which he swapped Florence for the Old Lady in the middle of the season, the 19-cap gem finished with a stunning return of 29 goals and six assists from 45 total appearances – etching his name into the record book of the world’s very best forwards.
If United were able to negotiate a transfer, they would finally have a true striker to lead the line for the foreseeable future, a destructive offensive presence with a track record of consistently evading the opposition’s goal.
The “monster,” as described by Carlo Garganese, could replicate the success of Robin van Persie, who joined Manchester United in 2012 for £24 million from divisional rivals Arsenal in a move that infuriated the Gunners.
Van Persie won the league in his first year at the Theatre of Dreams, scoring 58 goals and dishing out 21 assists in 105 appearances, including 30 goals and 15 assists in his first season with the club.
With both players possessing a ferocious left foot, predatory instincts within the box, and a physicality that allows them to bully defenders with ease, it’s easy to see why Ten Hag wants to bring Vlahovic to Manchester in the hopes that he can replicate the achievements of one of the greatest strikers in English football history.
And with Nenad Bjekovic, the president of the Serbian FA, stating that he is “more complete than [Erling] Haaland,” he may be the diamond the Red Devils need to return the club to its former glory.
Ten Hag’s £88m “monster” target who’s “more complete than Haaland” could be Manchester United’s next RVP
