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Manchester United are in a free fall at the moment having lost back to back games of contrasting nature. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side were not given any chance against the high-flying Liverpool while the Red Devils succumbed to their first home defeat against Burnley in over 6 decades.
One of the biggest reasons for Manchester United's inconsistent 2019-20 season is their lack of squad depth, in particular with the strikers. Marcus Rashford's injury has all but derailed Solskjaer's hopes of finishing in the top 4 this season, as they find goals harder and harder to come by.
The Old Trafford faithful have lately voiced their displeasure at the lack of reinforcements from the club and there are now talks of an emergency loan for a striker this month. Signing a high-profile name in less than a week is never easy, thus Ed Woodward and his team have a tough job on their hands as the January transfer window is soon coming to an end.
On that note, we look at the 3 strikers Manchester United could sign this month to bolster their attack and give Solskjaer a fighting chance of a top 4 finish.
#3 Paco Alcácer (Borussia Dortmund)
Manchester United missed out on signing Erling Haaland earlier this month but his arrival at Borussia Dortmund could help Ole Gunnar Solskjaer indirectly solve his striker crisis.
Paco Alcacer set the Bundesliga alight following his loan move from Barcelona. He scored 18 goals in his first season in German football. The former Valencia man is known for his predatory skills in the box which Red Devils are sorely missing at the moment.
The Spanish striker, however, has struggled for goals since making a permanent switch to Signal Eduna Park, and his position at the club became dispensable when Haaland was signed from Red Bull Salzburg earlier this month.
The Norwegian striker has played close to an hour of football in Germany and has already scored 5 goals. Following Haaland's sensational start, Alcacer is now eager to quit Dortmund this month.
One of Alcacer's biggest strengths is his ability to take shots on goal and convert half-chances inside the penalty box. It is almost ironic to think that a team managed by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer lacks a penalty box predator like the Norweigian himself.
The Red Devils must be encouraged by the Spaniard's willingness to change clubs this month as he is not ready to spend most of the season on the bench. As per reports, Newcastle United and Wolverhampton are ready to make a move for the Dortmund striker as well.
With other teams courting around Alcacer, Ed Woodward should do everything possible to sign him on loan to ease the goal-scoring burden at Old Trafford.
2. Krzysztof Piątek (AC Milan)
Krzysztof Piatek is an opportunist and a direct striker who feeds on the spaces left behind by the defenders. He is exactly the kind of striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer needs at the moment. With Marcus Rashford out of the team, opposing teams only have to worry about the occasional tricks and dribbles from Anthony Martial while the 18-year-old Mason Greenwood is still learning his craft.
Goals win you games and Manchester United need to win games right now if they want to play Champions League football next season. Piatek is destined to leave AC Milan this month with Tottenham, Chelsea, Barcelona, Aston Villa, and Newcastle United all interested in the Polish striker.
Piatek had an instant impact on the Italian outfit, scoring 9 goals in 18 Serie A games in his first season at San Siro. While the Italian media has hammered the striker's poor goal return this season, it is also worth noting how AC Milan have been on a downward spiral in last 2-3 seasons. Piatek alone is not the reason why the Red and Blacks sit 8th in the Serie A table at the moment.
It is has been widely reported that Manchester United have already made contact with AC Milan for the availability of the 24-year-old striker, who is currently behind Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Rafael Leao in the pecking order.
One of Piatek's biggest assets is his ability to play in different formations. His pace allows him to be the lone striker in a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 formation. Meanwhile, his physical attributes make him an ideal target man in a 4-4-2 setup.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's squad has a lot of multi-dimensional forwards like Anthony Martial, Daniel James, and Marcus Rashford, so an out and out forward like Piatek will bring the Red Devils some much-needed variety and potency in attack.
Piatek may have struggled for goals this season but he can be an instant hit for the Red Devils and could salvage their season. Given his qualities and goal-scoring abilities, the former Genoa man can even be targetted as a long-term signing by the record English champions.
The Polish forward is available this month for as little as £27 million which may turn out to be a bargain signing for the Old Trafford outfit. However, the Red Devils will have to act swiftly as teams like Chelsea and Tottenham are ahead in negotiating a potential deal at the moment.
#1 Islam Slimani (AS Monaco)
If this was being penned a week ago, Islami Slimani's name may not have even crossed the minds of Manchester United fans, however, in the last 72 hours or so, the Red Devils have been strongly linked with a loan move for the Algerian striker.
The former Leicester City man is not happy in France and has demanded a swift exit in the January transfer window. So far no team has come up with a concrete offer which comes as a real surprise if you look at his stats for this season.
Slimani averages a goal involvement every 69 minutes for AS Monaco, having managed 7 goals and 7 assists in 13 games this season. The 31-year-old has played in the Premier League and knows what it takes to score in English football.
The former Sporting Lisbon striker moved to Leicester City in the 2016-17 season and made an instant impact for the Foxes, as he managed 7 goals and 4 assists from 23 league games. Slimani's aerial threat will offer Manchester United a direct route of play against teams who like to deploy a low-defensive block against them.
We have seen how teams like Wolves, Burnley, Watford, and Newcastle United have frustrated Solskjaer's team this season with narrow wins. With a striker like Slimani amongst their ranks, the Red Devils can hope to get results against teams below them in the table and continue their push for a top-4 finish this season.
He may not be the high-profile name Manchester United fans want to be linked with, but given the goal drought and virtually no Plan B in most of their games, Slimani could be the ideal short-term signing Old Trafford needs at the moment.
Also Read: Follow the latest Transfer Rumors with Sportskeeda's Live Football Transfer Blog
