Why Manchester United should sign Wissam Ben Yedder this summer
According to a report from ESPN, Manchester United are interested in signing AS Monaco and France centre-forward Wissam Ben Yedder in the summer transfer window.
Having spent time at St. Denis and Alfortville, Ben Yedder joined Toulouse in 2010. The striker spent six years at the club, making 174 appearances. He scored 71 goals and assisted 22 before signing for Sevilla in 2016.
The 29-year-old enjoyed three fruitful seasons with the La Liga outfit, scoring 70 goals in 138 appearances, before AS Monaco signed him up last summer. And Ben Yedder has been an instant hit at the Principality outfit, making a huge impression in his debut season.
Manchester United, meanwhile, have recovered well from a shaky start to the 2019/20 campaign. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side are 5th in the Premier League table. They are also alive and kicking in the Europa League as well as the FA Cup.
Things seem to be moving in the right direction for the club under Solskjaer. However, there still remains a huge gap between them and arch-rivals, Liverpool and Manchester City. And for them to bridge that gap in the coming seasons, the Red Devils must strengthen their squad.
The centre-forward position is one where Solskjaer & co. should look to bolster this summer. In Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood, they have three options who have been performing very well this season. Indeed, among the three, they have managed 47 goals across all competitions this season.
However, the Red Devils suffered badly when Martial and Rashford spent time out on the sidelines (at different times). This forced Solskjaer to bring in Odion Ighalo on loan in January. The Nigerian has impressed, scoring four goals in eight games so far. But he could be on his way back to China next month, with parent club Shanghai Shenhua set to recall him.
Hence, Manchester United should bring in another experienced centre-forward who would add quality and depth to the squad. Having said that, Wissam Ben Yedder would be a viable option for the 20-time English champions.
The 29-year-old enjoyed a prolific spell during his time at Sevilla and has carried on that form with Monaco. He managed an impressive tally of 18 goals and 7 assists in 26 Ligue 1 matches in 2019/20, finishing as the joint top-scorer in the league, along with PSG’s Kylian Mbappe. He was directly involved in a goal every 87 minutes in the Ligue 1 this term.
Given his current form and experience of playing at the highest level, Ben Yedder would prove to be a valuable addition to the Manchester United side.
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Verdict
Manchester United will lose Odion Ighalo next month. Hence, adding another experienced striker would serve them well going forward. And signing Ben Yedder would provide just that. The 29-year-old has been in prolific form this season and would add greater depth and quality to the Red Devils attacking unit.
