Why Manchester United must go all out and sign Josh King
According to Mail Online (h/t The Metro), Manchester United approached and failed in their bid to sign Josh King from Bournemouth.
The report also claims that United are keen to sign a new striker before the deadline and made a move for King but the Cherries do not want to lose their forward as they fight to move above the relegation zone.
Having failed in their pursuit this time, should the Red Devils attempt to make a move in the summer?
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men have been unpredictable throughout the season and are currently 5th in the league standings. Their poor run of form against smaller teams have cost them heavily so far and the 0-2 loss to Burnley a few weeks back is proof of their inconsistency.
They have a better record against the top six teams in the league, however, having beaten Manchester City twice this term. The Red Devils have struggled without star players like Paul Pogba and Scott McTominay and the recent injury to Marcus Rashford has made things difficult.
Rashford is United’s top scorer this season with 19 goals in all competitions. Other attackers Anthony Martial, Daniel James and Jesse Lingard have not made much of in impact in the absence of the top scorer.
The Norwegian has to ensure that all his available players stay fit and that can happen only if they have enough depth in the squad. Therefore, the club would be wise to sign King once the window reopens in the summer.
Born in Oslo, to a Gambian father and a Norwegian mother, King signed for Manchester United as a youth player from Valerenga in 2008. He then enjoyed loan spells at Preston North End, Borussia Monchengladbach and Hull City before joining Blackburn permanently in 2013.
Two years later, he moved to Dean Court and has made 160 appearances for the Cherries, scoring 47 goals and providing 15 assists. Though he struggled to score in his debut season in the South Coast, he was impressive in the next, scoring 16 league goals.
The 28-year-old is predominantly a second striker but also has the ability to play as a winger and as a centre-forward. Last term, he notched up 12 league goals.
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Verdict
United need to bring in reinforcements to bolster their attacking ranks and King has a decent goalscoring record. He also has experience in the Premier League, thus making him a viable option.
Therefore, Manchester United must make an attempt to bring him to Old Trafford in the summer.
