Why Manchester United should make a move for Raul Jimenez in January
Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy has urged Manchester United to sign Wolves star Raul Jimenez. His recommendation was in response to Matthew Upson, who claimed Manchester United need a different kind of forward to their current attacking trio of Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Daniel James during Sky Sports’ The Debate. (h/t The Express)
After victories against Tottenham and City, the Red Devils are sixth in the Premier League table, just three points behind fourth-placed Chelsea in the race for Champions League qualification.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is looking to sign a striker in the January transfer window to boost their hopes of a top-four finish, something he failed to do during the summer.
Failure to bring in replacements for Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez has affected United’s productivity in front of goal, with Solskjaer’s young side scoring just 26 goals in 17 league games.
Rashford is in the form of his life at the moment, having scored three goals in the last three league games. The England international is linking up well with the likes Martial and James, but an injury to either one would leave Solskjaer short of options up front.
Keeping that in mind, should United listen to Danny Murphy’s suggestion and make a move for Raul Jimenez?
Jimenez, 28, joined Wolves initially on loan and then for a £30m fee upon their return to the Premier League in 2018 and his goals commanded their march to qualification for the Europa League and an FA Cup semi-final.
The Mexican has scored 32 times in 71 appearances in England, and has also added adding 15 assists. He scored in Wolves’ FA Cup quarter-final win over United last season.
Arriving on loan from Benfica where he had struggled to make the starting XI over three difficult years, Jimenez had a lot to prove in England. And in a year-and-a-half, the 28-year-old has established himself as one of the best strikers in the Premier League.
A traditional number nine who can hold the ball up as well as link up play well with his fellow forwards, the Mexican international has the knack of arriving at the right place and at the right time to score.
He has 15 goals in all competitions so far this season, with 6 in 16 Premier League games. Jimenez is an excellent header of the ball, works tirelessly throughout the game and would give United’s attack a different dimension.
In the video below, one could see Jimenez’s ability to hold the ball up, drop deep, link up the play and finish off chances with aplomb.
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Verdict
Jimenez has proven himself in the Premier League and would be a fantastic signing for United. Thus, Solskjaer should attempt to sign the Mexican from Wolves in January to solve his team’s goalscoring woes.