Why Manchester United must plot a swoop for Fenerbahce’s Vedat Muriqi
Back in September 2019, the Express had claimed that Manchester United sent their scouts to watch Kosovo striker Vedat Muriqi in action against England. The striker was on the score sheet in the thrilling 5-3 win for England as he netted from the penalty spot.
Vedat Muriqi, 25, joined Fenerbahce from Çaykur Rizespor before the start of this season. He has scored 13 goals in 20 games across all competitions so far this season, as well as adding five assists. The Kosovo international has been in top form, living up to the expectations in his debut season at the Turkish club.
Meanwhile, Manchester United were beaten 2-0 by Burnley and that put a further dent in their hopes of securing a top-four finish in the Premier League.
The Red Devils appear light in various areas of the pitch and it’s high time the board helps Ole Gunnar Solskjaer by bringing in a couple of players before the transfer window slams shut.
One area Solskjaer’s side are in desperate need of reinforcement is the attack, with them managing only 36 goals in 24 games so far this campaign.
United did not replace Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku before the start of the season as he made his way to Inter Milan, with Solskjaer putting his faith on Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and teenager Mason Greenwood for goals.
Rashford is the club’s top scorer with 19 goals across all competitions this campaign. However, he has been sidelined for up to three months after sustaining a serious back injury against Wolves in the FA Cup.
And United have struggled in the England international’s absence, failing to score in back-to-back league defeats against Liverpool and Burnley.
With Martial yet to fully convince in the No.9 role and Greenwood only 18 years old, Solskjaer must not just rely on them and bring in a centre-forward this window. And Vedat Muriqi could be the answer to the Red Devils’ goal-scoring conundrum.
Read more
- Why Manchester United must go all out for veteran Cavani
- Why Raul Jimenez could be the missing link at Man United
- Why Manchester United should drop their interest in Thomas Meunier
During the 2018-19 campaign, Muriqi scored 17 goals and provided 8 assists in 34 league games for Rizespor. That earned him a move to Fenerbahce, where he has proven himself with 13 goals in 20 appearances on all fronts.
The Kosovo international has been in excellent form in Turkey, but doesn’t have any previous experience in English football and would be making a serious step up if a move to United happens.
Verdict
Regardless of the fact that the 25-year-old has no previous experience in English football, United must purely look at Muriqi’s goal-scoring record in Turkey and plot a swoop as quickly as possible.