Manchester United are no strangers to a short-term, sticking plaster sort of striker signing.
This, after all, is a club who signed Odion Ighalo and Wout Weghorst during previous January transfer windows, and seriously considered landing another 30-something with a patchy transfer record in English football in Bayern Munich’s Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting.
But, while a damn sight younger than Manchester United’s usual mid-season striker signings, there is very little in Moise Kean’s recent form to suggest that the former Everton misfit would have been an addition on par with cult hero Ighalo and the effective-if-profligate Weghorst, let alone an upgrade.
HITC reported in mid-January that Man United – as well as Chelsea – discussed the idea of bringing Moise Kean back to England.
The Italy international is all-but certain to be up for grabs in the summer. Tuttomercatoweb report that he is leaving Juventus 12 months before his contract expires. But that Man United chance has surely passed Kean by.
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Manchester United chance has passed Moise Kean by
Now, the 24-year-old may have been a decent short-term solution, perhaps on loan from January to June and operating as a back-up for Rasmus Hojlund. But could Moise Kean be relied upon to produce the goods over a long-term period at a club with Manchester United’s lofty ambitions? His miserable return this season suggests not.
In 16 appearances this season, Kean hasn’t scored even a single goal. In fact, on April 1st, he ‘celebrated’ the one-year anniversary of his last Serie A strike, coming against Hellas Verona during the spring of 2023.
Yes, opportunities have been relatively few and far between. Max Allegri prefers Dusan Vlahovic in attack while Kean also had a decent spell out of action with a shin injury. But, even during his first league start since November, the misfiring frontman never really threatened to get his name on the scoresheet during Sunday’s 1-0 defeat at Lazio, a game in which Vlahovic was missing through suspension.
No goals all season for ex-Everton
“When I got the news about (the injury to) Anthony Martial, start of January, I really tried to get another striker in because we are vulnerable there,” Ten Hag said, explaining why Man United did not succeed in bringing in a Choupo-Moting, a Mauro Icardi or a Moise Kean in the winter.
“But FFP was the thing. We couldn’t do it.”
While those pesky Profit and Sustainability rules are likely to cause United a few headaches again during Ineos’ first window at the helm – and while a centre-forward is high on the Red Devils’ list of priorities – the Moise Kean idea feels like one that will not be revisited in a hurry.