Manchester United fell to their second consecutive defeat under the new reign of boss Ruben Amorim with a 3-2 home defeat to Nottingham Forest.
That defeat leaves United in 13th place in the table and a gap of six points has already opened up from the European spots.
The Red Devils dominated the game at Old Trafford: they had 71% of possession, 17 goal attempts and more corner kicks than their opponents Forest.
Yet, despite their dominance, the Red Devils went on to lose the game and it once again highlighted a glaring hole in the centre-forward position that Amorim needs to fill if he is to turn around United’s fortunes.
Current centre forwards Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund have scored just five Premier League goals between them this season and despite Hojlund bagging on Saturday night, many believe the lack of quality in this area is costing United points.
Zirkzee and Hojlund upgrade being lined up
According to TBR Football, Dusan Vlahovic is a striker that Manchester United are keeping tabs on and remain interested in should any potential deal arise.
Serie A’s highest-paid player at £200k-a-week, is currently stalling on a new contract with his current deal running out in 2026.
Juventus want their frontman to take a pay cut to reflect his underwhelming performances since joining the Bianconeri, something Vlahovic is reluctant to do.
United are one of many clubs remaining attentive to the situation and could swoop if Juventus decide to cash in on the striker in order to recoup as much of their £70m outlay as possible.
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How Vlahovic compares to Zirkzee and Hojlund
Vlahovic has been in decent form for Juventus this season, scoring six goals in 13 Serie A appearances and adding a further three goals in the Champions League.
The Serbian striker has scored more than Zirkzee and Hojlund combined this term, however, it is not just goals where the Juventus man would be an upgrade on United’s current attacking duo.
|
Vlahovic vs Zirkzee and Hojlund in 2024/25 |
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|---|---|---|---|
|
Stat |
Vlahovic |
Zirkzee |
Hojlund |
|
Minutes played |
1065 |
594 |
607 |
|
Expected Goals (xG) |
8.3 |
3.0 |
1.8 |
|
Progressive passes received (PrgR) |
53 |
26 |
26 |
|
Progressive carries |
10 |
4 |
10 |
|
Touches |
277 |
247 |
165 |
|
Aerial Duels won |
46.2% |
34.3% |
25% |
|
Set-piece clearances |
8 |
2 |
2 |
|
Stats via FBref. |
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From the above table, it is clear that Vlahovic would be better suited to playing the number 9 role at Old Trafford. From these stats, you can begin to see why Vlahovic has been labelled as “more complete than Haaland” by Serbian FA president Nenad Bjekovic.
Vlahovic has played more minutes than both Zirkzee and Hojlund this season and leads the way on expected goals (xG) with 8.3 for this season.
Being that focal point is something that United have been looking for in their striker so with Vlahovic coming out on top in progressive passes received and aerial duels won, he is proving that he may be more of a handful for Premier League defenders.
In addition, the Serbian has had more touches than both his United counterparts this season and would be an ideal linkman for the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho to bounce off and link with.
Furthermore, the Juve star seems to also add value in United’s own box with their recent set-piece troubles being highlighted; the Serb having made eight set-piece clearances this season.
It remains to be seen whether a deal can be struck between the two clubs but it is evident that Vlahovic would be that focal point that Amorim is desperately craving at the start of his Manchester United reign.
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