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Manchester United – Is It Time The £17m Rated Forward Leave Them?

Javier Hernandez on the verge of joining Italian giants Juventus
Is Javier Hernandez on the verge of joining Italian giants Juventus?

In his 27 years at the helm of Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson has earned the reputation of being a successful manager in terms of scouting and developing the careers of many youngsters. But one player who would beg to differ with the above statement is United’s Mexican striker Javier Hernandez or Chicharito, as he is known as.  Although Hernandez has never let Fergie down and has remained us from time to time that he is fond of Sir Alex and hail him with high regards, has he failed to have a reality check of where his career is heading? At 25, he is still a super sub, who has been nothing less than sensational each and every time he has pulled on a United jersey. Of course he has helped the red devils on numerous occasions and the fans love him, but is it enough?

The 25 year old striker has been in England for the last three years since the United scouts brought him in from his boyhood club Guadalajara. The baby-faced player who was expected to be the lead in the strike force along with Rooney back then, has today been reduced to the third or sometimes fourth choice forward. With the acquisition of Robin Van Persie from Arsenal, Chicharito’s gametime has suffered a serious jolt, with even Danny Wellback being preferred ahead of him at times.

In his 22 league appearances, Chicharito has scored 10 times. And what’s more interesting is the fact that he has only made 9 starts. That’s a pretty good goalscoring record for a player who came off the bench for 13 of his 22 appearances.

In the limited opportunity that Chicharito has received till now, he has tried to make the best of it, scoring 48 goals overall for the team. Some of his goals have come in the dying minutes of the match, leaving a huge impression on the outcome and earning him the title of super-sub.

While many may argue that Chicharito’s approach towards the game may not be always in sync with the best interest of the team, but one cannot raise a question on his goal scoring abilities, which makes him a frontline striker in today’s game. This fact was validated by Seria A champions Juventus who recently displayed interest in acquiring the player’s services, who is yet to reach his prime.

Any deal between the Italian side and United should cost around £17m, presumably a tad high for a bench warmer.  But the sheer reality that Juventus are willing to pay United this sort of an amount, if their chase for Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain falters, shows how much of an impact player Chicharito is presumed to be. It is reported that manager Conte rates highly of him and they will go to any extent to seal this transfer.

But the question still remains that whether David Moyes will be willing to sell Chicharito, given the fact that Rooney may be heading out of Old Trafford. This may provide Chicharito with another chance to improve his statistics, but if Moyes brings in someone in the likes of Lewandowski or Gomez, Chicharito’s exit will be just a matter of time.

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