With it now confirmed that Erik ten Hag will remain as Manchester United boss, Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s on-field rebuild can now begin.
After last season, improvements are needed across the squad, and plenty of new faces will arrive.
The centre-back position has been highlighted as a priority to reinforce, while the Red Devils will also look to add to their midfield, but it’s the centre-forward role that needs backup.
Rasmus Hojlund was pushed to his limits last season due to the lack of rotation options, which means a new attacker could arrive through the doors of Old Trafford this summer.
Man Utd want a new striker
As per a report from German outlet BILD via SportsWitness, Man Utd are interested in signing Maximilian Beier.
It’s mentioned that the Red Devils have made a move for the centre forward, having ‘asked what the terms would be’ for his signature.
The German reportedly has a £27.5m release clause in his contract at Hoffenheim, which makes him a steal for many clubs.
However, unfortunately for United, they will face competition from other Premier League clubs for Beier’s signature, including Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, as well as Bayer Leverkusen.
Why Beier would be a great signing for Man Utd
This time last year, Beier was playing his football in the German second tier for Hannover, but fast forward to today, and he’s one of the most promising prospects in the Bundesliga.
The 21-year-old started the 2023/24 campaign on the bench, but after a couple of impressive substitute cameos, he became irreplaceable.
The Hoffenheim gem has even worked his way into the Germany squad for the upcoming European Championships, which just proves how influential he was over the season.
Related
Every Confirmed Euro 2024 Squad
Gareth Southgate has named his 26 England players for Euro 2024 – here are all the confirmed squads in Germany this summer.
Over 29 Bundesliga starts, Beier scored an impressive 16 goals and provided one assists, which is certainly a great return considering it was his breakthrough year.
|
Beier vs Hojlund 23/24 League Stats |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stats (per 90) |
Beier |
Hojlund |
|
Goals |
0.60 |
0.42 |
|
xG |
0.42 |
0.32 |
|
Shots |
3.05 |
1.58 |
|
Goals/shot |
0.20 |
0.26 |
|
Progressive passes received |
8.33 |
4.63 |
|
Progressive carries |
2.27 |
1.50 |
|
Successful take-ons |
1.23 |
0.75 |
|
Touches (Att third) |
18.78 |
12.39 |
|
Via FBref |
||
As you can see, Beier even outperformed Hojlund last season on quite a few fronts, which proves he has the potential to become an excellent addition.
Firstly, the German is clearly an “exceptional” goalscorer, as he was dubbed by football scout Antonio Mango, with his goals per game being superior to Hojlund’s.
That said, both strikers are definitely excellent finishers who are often clinical when provided a chance, as shown by their overperformance of xG and goals-to-shot ratio.
However, the main difference is that Beier was far more impactful than Hojlund due to his overall game being slightly more developed, particularly with his back-to-goal.
This is proved by the Bundesliga star receiving almost double the number of progressive passes as United’s 21-year-old, while his touches in the attacking third, successful take-ons, and progressive carries are also higher, demonstrating that he is a multi-faceted forward.
Furthermore, the right-footed ace played mainly as a centre forward, but he also excelled on the left and as an attacking midfielder, which means there’s the potential for him to play alongside the United number 11.
Overall, it’s clear that Beier did outperform Hojlund last season, but together, they could give United one of the most promising and frightening attacks in the Premier League.
Related
What Man Utd’s dream XI could look like after £230m spending spree
Marcus Rashford doesn’t make the best eleven.
