Manchester United are among a few Premier League clubs interested in signing Red Bull Salzburg hotshot Patson Daka.
Patson Daka, 22, joined Red Bull Salzburg from Kafue Celtic in the summer of 2017. Although he initially struggled in the senior team, the striker was a part of the Red Bull Salzburg side which won the Austrian Football Bundesliga in 2017/18 and the following campaign. The Zambian was the catalyst to Salzburg’s league triumph last season with 31 goals, while Jesse Marsch’s side also lifted the Austrian Cup.
The 22-year-old has been prolific this season, bagging 27 goals from 31 appearances, including 20 strikes in just 18 league appearances, and is also fancied by Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool. Intriguingly, Daka is seemingly valued at a modest £17m in the summer. However, that value is likely to shoot up if he continues his rich goalscoring form.
Manchester United open to signing a striker in the summer
Manchester United are ready to add a long-term striker to their ranks ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.
Anthony Martial enjoyed a solid last season, scoring 23 goals in all competitions which encouraged Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to start him in the no.9 role. However, things haven’t worked out for the Frenchman. He has netted just four goals in 22 league appearances this season, which is a very poor return for a player that is Manchester United’s first-choice striker.
Edinson Cavani, signed on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain last summer, has been a good stop-gap option for the Red Devils. Not only has he demonstrated his undying hunger for scoring goals, but also been an ideal mentor for the likes of Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood and Martial. But the Uruguayan is 34 and has struggled with injuries this season.
As things stand, Solskjaer may be happy with Cavani’s impact at Old Trafford but the club are yet to trigger the one-year option in his contract.
Mason Greenwood enjoyed a brilliant breakthrough campaign that yielded 17 goals across all competitions in 2019/20. But the youngster is having a testing second season where he has netted just one Premier League goal so far. The Englishman ended his goal drought in the 3-1 FA Cup defeat to Leicester City over the weekend, having previously failed to score since the Red Devils’ 3-2 FA Cup success over Liverpool in January.
Given the fact that United’s strikers haven’t consistently delivered the goods this season, it makes complete sense for Solskjaer to bolster his forward department for the next campaign.
Patson Daka could be a smart long-term investment for Man United
Patson Daka has been in sparkling form for Salzburg and is on course to better his last season’s tally of 24 goals in 31 league outings. He has already scored 20 goals in just 18 league matches, catching the eye with his pace, power and ruthless finishing.
The 22-year-old has already played in the Champions League and Europa League, registering two goals and two assists this season in Europe that suggest he can deliver against elite sides as well. The Zambian international’s superb goalscoring record in recent seasons, as well as the fact that he’s valued at just £17m, emphasises why he is such hot property at the moment.
At 22, Daka has a lot of room for improvement, and with time could establish himself as a top-quality player in the Premier League under the watchful eyes of Solskjaer. All in all, the Salzburg striker is worth the punt and could even turn out to be a smart long-term investment for the Red Devils.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.
