Manchester United's attacking ranks look like they're about to get a little lighter. Jadon Sancho, who hasn't played since August and has been training away from the first team since September after a falling-out with manager Erik ten Hag, is on the verge of sealing a return to Borussia Dortmund.
All that needs to be sorted out are a few "contractual and financial issues", but once those are dealt with, United will be able to move on from Sancho. It's hard to say the Red Devils will feel any immediate impact given the length of the Englishman's absence, but another forward could depart after significant involvement.
According to Football Insider, United are ready to offload Anthony Martial, who's played 19 games and 629 minutes so far this season, if they receive the right offer this month. He would need to be replaced, but United already have options.
United given Choupo-Moting opportunity
United have reportedly been offered the chance to sign Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting from Bayern Munich (Football Insider), and they appear to be interested in that possibility. Ten Hag's side have already held "preliminary talks" about a possible deal this month, though it's worth noting that nothing has reached an "advanced" stage yet.
The hope is that Sancho's exit will free up some otherwise unavailable funds for Ten Hag to add to his squad. Timo Werner is another who was offered to United, but Sky Germany's Florian Plettenberg reported on Saturday morning that he's now expected to join league rivals Tottenham instead.
Choupo-Moting could invigorate United's press
United could be forgiven for an instinctively underwhelmed response to links with Choupo-Moting. In his previous stint in the Premier League with Stoke City, he only scored five goals in 30 top-flight matches, nor was he prolific at Paris Saint-Germain, netting just nine in 51 outings.
His strike rate at Bayern is better – 38 in 107. He's only hit the target twice in 19 games this term, but he enjoyed an excellent 2022/23 season with 17 in 30. Indeed, it's no coincidence that this was the first time he'd started more than eight Bundesliga games for the club (14 in this instance). When he was more involved, his output naturally increased.
Still, you could see why many would doubt his capacity to fix United's dire goalscoring issues. Ten Hag's men actually boast a respectable defensive record – they've conceded as many goals (27) as second-placed Aston Villa and fewer than Champions League-chasing Spurs (30) – but the reason they're languishing in mid-table is that they've scored just 22 times in their 20 matches. That's fewer than 18th-placed Luton, who still have a game in hand.
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One thing that Choupo-Moting will definitely offer is an excellent work rate out of possession. He ranks in the 85th percentile or better, when compared to positional peers over the past year, for tackles (1.16), tackles won (0.78) and tackles in the middle third (0.54) per 90 minutes (FBref). This shows us that he's a committed and effective presser, which is the kind of player Ten Hag could use. United have been an average pressing team this season (as per The Analyst), ranking ninth for opposition passes per defensive action (12.3).
Whether United sign Choupo-Moting or someone else, there will still be an onus on other forwards to step up. Rasmus Hojlund and Marcus Rashford have only managed to bag nine goals between them, while Antony hasn't scored at all.