After Marcus Rashford established himself as Manchester United’s most reliable source of goals in 2022/23, the club’s aim for the 2023 summer transfer window was clear: sign a striker.
They did just that, landing Rasmus Hojlund from Italian outfit Atalanta for an initial fee of £64million. The Reds had been unable to rely on a prolific No.9 in Erik ten Hag’s first season in charge and they felt Hojlund was the ideal candidate to join forces with Rashford and spearhead the attack.
Despite’s Rashford’s drop-off, Hojlund ended his debut season at Old Trafford with 16 goals to his name. While it was by no means a blistering return, it was most certainly respectable.
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But Rashford’s tally of eight goals in all competitions meant there was an increase in pressure on the Dane to deliver the goods. However, arriving in England as a 20-year-old, United had to manage expectations.
Fortunately, United’s midfielders stepped up this season, with Bruno Fernandes, Scott McTominay, Kobbie Mainoo, Mason Mount, Christian Eriksen, Hannibal Mejbri and Casemiro scoring 38 goals between them. Considering Fernandes is the only member of that group who is an out-and-out attacking midfielder, it was an impressive haul from the engine room.
Fernandes and McTominay shared the bulk of the load, scoring 25 goals between them, but Mainoo chipped in with five and Casemiro also got halfway towards reaching double figures. Eriksen, Mount and Hannibal got one apiece.
Scoring goals was not something that came easily to United this season; they netted just 57 in the Premier League, marking the lowest tally of anyone who finished inside the top nine. Across all competitions, they scored 88 times in total.
Taking that tally of 88 into account, United’s midfielders contributed 43.2 per cent of their overall output, highlighting their importance. Fernandes ended the season with 15 and McTominay netted 10.
But ahead of this summer’s transfer window opening for business, it is no secret that big changes are going to be made to the landscape of United’s squad, and their midfield could be one of the most impacted areas. Of United’s crop of midfielders, only Mainoo has made their list of untouchables, while there is a strong chance McTominay, Casemiro, Eriksen and Hannibal could all be moved on to raise funds and free up space for new arrivals.
United want to sign a central midfielder this summer with Casemiro a likely candidate to be moved on. The Brazilian has scored 12 goals in his United career, but further reinforcements could be required to improve the midfield department. McTominay is one of the most sellable assets within the squad and all funds raised from a potential sale would count as pure profit because of his status as an academy graduate.
As much as United should strive to do that because of the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules [PSR], they are going to have to try and ensure any replacements carry a goal threat. United need to have players all over the pitch who are capable of scoring and can contribute to the team’s attacking output, just as Ten Hag demanded in his first season in charge.
“We have many goalscorers across the offensive department,” he said, speaking in October 2022. “But we also need something from midfield and the defensive department.”
United ended the 2022/23 season with 34 goals from their midfielders, meaning they saw a slight increase in 2023/24. But there could be a higher turnover in personnel this summer than there was last, with only Marcel Sabitzer and Fred departing from that area of the team.
United will hope Mainoo will build on this season’s tally of five, while they will also be hoping Mount can overcome this season’s injury nightmare to offer more of a goal threat. However, as much as United’s midfield landscape needs to change, their outgoings will need to be replaced with players who can contribute inside the final third.
Although there is no denying the midfield department needs a shake-up, United must consider their options. They can ill afford to leave themselves short on goals from the engine room and pile more pressure on the likes of Hojlund and Rashford.