It is safe to say that Manchester United have been a slow burner under Ruben Amorim so far.
The team shows some signs of adapting to his wing-back tactics but struggles for overall form.
As a result, they have picked up just four wins from their 21 Premier League matches under the former Sporting Lisbon head coach and currently sit 15th in the top flight standings at the time of writing.
One of the key issues that Amorim has encountered since his arrival in November has been his new players’ inability to adapt to his style of play.
A few have shown that they can fit into that model, but others look significantly out of place.
Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the club has been linked with several high-profile targets this summer.
It is clear that a rebuild is required if they are to enjoy a successful time under the former Portugal midfielder.
One name widely rumoured to be near the top of their shopping list is Canada striker Jonathan David.
The Lille forward has been in scintillating form for his club this season, scoring 20 goals in all competitions and playing a key role in propelling them up the Ligue 1 standings and into Champions League contention.
That alone would be enough to turn heads in his direction, but the announcement that he will be leaving the French side on a free transfer this summer has sparked even greater interest in securing his signature.
If reports are to be believed, Manchester United are among the frontrunners in that race.
This tactical analysis will examine what David would bring to Amorim’s side if he were persuaded to move to Old Trafford.
The Jonathan David scout report will examine his individual traits and compare him to their current striking options.
It will also suggest alternative targets for Manchester United if David decides on a different destination.
Manchester United’s Current Options
When watching Man United this season, both under Amorim and his predecessor Erik ten Hag, one of the most glaring problems that they have needed to face has been their lack of end product.
At this moment, their goals per game value stands at just 1.15, and there was a point earlier not too long ago when they were above only Ipswich Town, Southampton, Leicester City and Everton for that statistic.
It is therefore no secret that finding a way to score more goals will be imperative if they are to make a success of Amorim’s time at the club, and adding a new striker does appear to be the only way of making that happen.
Whilst they do have two attackers at the club already in Rasmus Højlund and Joshua Zirkzee, neither has done enough to suggest that they can deliver goals on a regular enough basis, and it is now vital that an alternative solution is sourced.
Rasmus Højlund Statistics 2024/2025
Of the two, Højlund is perhaps at the biggest risk of being frozen out of the team altogether, with his lack of attacking threat the most concerning.
As this graphic shows, his percentile rankings for goal contributions and shots at goal are in the lowest bands when compared to all other strikers in Tier 1 and Tier 2 leagues, which highlights how having him at the top end of the pitch does not give Manchester United the presence that they need.
Whilst he has only played 1,317 minutes in the Premier League thus far (equating to roughly 15 full matches), this is still a disappointment given that Manchester United saw off competition from PSG to sign him back in the summer of 2023 following his 10 goals for Atalanta the season before.
However, what is even more worrying is that Højlund is not even getting himself into positions from which he can remedy that lack of goal threat.
On his arrival at the club, ten Hag labelled the Denmark striker a physical presence with a direct nature, but his statistics rebuke that.
As can be seen, he ranks incredibly low for touches inside the penalty area, and this has arguably been his biggest issue since joining the club.
Analysis of his performances has repeatedly shown that he seems reticent to make the necessary runs, and, whilst he did look a little more threatening at times in the weekend’s 2-2 draw at Everton, he is overall not offering the target presence that Manchester United has been in dire need of.
Whilst there is an argument that his passing statistics perhaps mitigate this, with him ranking above average for both passing accuracy and dangerous passes made per game, this is not what ManU have needed from him.
It was telling in many ways that Ten Hag chose to deploy captain Bruno Fernandes in a false nine role at the end of last season rather than start the Danish forward, as was his decision to add further reinforcements in that area of the field last summer.
Even then, it suggested that Højlund was not the player Manchester United hoped he would be.
Joshua Zirkzee Statistics 2024/2025
The player that Manchester United set their sights on to add competition was Zirkzee, who had just helped to spearhead Bologna’s charge up the Serie A standings under now-Juventus head coach Thiago Motta.
As his percentile statistics in this graphic show, Zirkzee has proven to be something of an upgrade on Højlund.
He ranks higher than his teammate across the board.
His passing statistics, in particular, really stand out.
He is inside the top two bands for received passes and passes made, which suggests that he offers an outlet that teammates can use to progress the ball into dangerous areas.
However, when it comes to goal threat, Zirkzee too has fallen short.
Whilst he does have a higher percentile ranking for goal contributions, indicating that he is involving himself in build-up play more and is helping to create more chances, he still sits within the lowest two bands for shots on goal and for touches inside the penalty area.
The difference, though, is that Amorim feels he can work with this.
He stated after that aforementioned draw with Everton at the weekend that Zirkzee could perhaps operate as more of a playmaker or a second striker than as the main target player.
This could then allow him to focus more on progressing the ball forward and assisting whoever is starting ahead of him, and it might not be a bad switch for him to make.
Jonathan David Scouting Report At LOSC Lille
It would, though, still leave Manchester United with the same issue: they would be without a centre forward capable of leading the line and providing the goal threat that they so desperately need.
For this reason, adding Jonathan David would make a lot of sense for them.
The Canadian has been so consistent in front of goal this season that he certainly has the capability to lead Manchester United’s line.
The fact that he often features in a 4-4-2 structure at LOSC Lille means that he could operate alongside others if needed, giving Amorim structural flexibility if there ever was a need to mix things up.
Jonathan David Statistics 2024/2025
Whilst it should be mentioned that David has played more minutes than both Højlund and Zirkzee, the early signs are very positive when breaking down his statistics.
His goal contribution rate will make him a perfect match for Amorim’s progressive tactics, and that is only backed up by his high passing accuracy and the fact that he has assisted nine goals as well as the 20 he has scored.
He does not rank as highly for dribbles as both Højlund and Zirkzee, so he will not be the type of player who holds onto the ball for extended periods of play.
Instead, he is more likely to shift the ball into the path of a teammate much quicker than they are, making it harder to close down and win the ball.
What will most interest Manchester United fans, though, is his high percentile ranking for touches inside the opposing penalty area per game.
As can be seen, it is significantly higher than both Højlund’s and Zirkzee’s, which is largely why he has proven to be such a handful for opposing defensive lines.
This is what Amorim’s side will most benefit from, as it shows that he offers what they need in a striker and yet have been without for so long.
Therefore, it is clear evidence that he would be a positive signing for them and that they should pull out all the stops to win the race for his signature.
Alternatives To Jonathan David
However, Manchester United’s lowly ranking in the Premier League could hinder their hopes of attracting players of Jonathan David’s calibre.
It could see the Canadian snub them for another of the teams reportedly in the hunt for him (these include Premier League rivals West Ham United, Arsenal and Newcastle United).
As a result, Amorim’s side should be prepared to move on to other targets if needed.
This scout report will now suggest three alternative players who could offer the same profile as David if, indeed, they missed out on signing the Lille forward.
Jonathan David Vs Evanilson Statistics 2024/2025
The first player that they could turn to is Evanilson.
The Bournemouth striker has proven to be a strong signing for Andoni Iraola’s side since joining last summer from Porto.
He has fitted seamlessly into their style of play and is known for being a creative striker who sets up chances for others as well as scoring himself.
Since moving to Dorset, he has netted five times in all competitions and has gained experience in the Premier League.
Couple that with the fact that he will have faced Amorim several times during their combined time in the Primeira Liga, and Manchester United could turn to him if they miss out on David.
Looking at his statistics in this graphic, he offers the same offensive presence as the Canadian, ranking marginally higher in percentile terms for both shots per game and touches in the opposing goal area per game.
However, he would perhaps not create as many goals as David would, and he would be significantly lower in the bands for goal contributions.
However, this would not be too much of an issue if Amorim persists with his idea of using Zirkzee in a slightly deeper role.
If that were to be the case, the Netherlands forward could then be tasked with moving the ball up the field and compensating for that slight weak point in Evanilson’s game.
The latter could then focus on stretching the play vertically and offering the goal threat Manchester United would need him to bring.
There is no telling whether Evanilson would want to move to Manchester United, especially with Bournemouth looking increasingly likely to play in Europe next season.
However, there are certainly aspects of his game that could appeal to Amorim and Manchester United, and if David does evade their clutches, it could be something to keep an eye on.
Jonathan David Vs Mohammed Fuseini Statistics 2024/2025
Another player that Manchester United could look at is Mohammed Fuseini.
Currently featuring for Union Saint-Gilloise in the Belgian Pro League, he might not be one of the first players that fans look at, but many who have watched him believe he has the talent to end up at a major club in the future.
Having graduated from the renowned Right to Dream academy in his native Ghana, Fuseini has played for Sturm Graz in Austria and spent time on loan at Danish side Randers.
It is at the latter side where he started to attract attention, with his nine goals in 16 matches leading to Swansea City, Utrecht, Stade Rennais and Como harbouring interest in signing him before Union Saint-Gilloise held them off to add him to their ranks last summer.
As this graphic indicates, he would bring more to Manchester United’s attack than Evanilson would, in percentile terms, in that he would offer the same number of shots on goal and touches in the opposing goal area.
He would also have a higher capability when it comes to dribbling the ball around the field and making progressive passes, which could make him a more versatile player who would offer different dimensions to Manchester United’s attacking play.
Whilst he might not be the most prolific goal scorer at this moment in time, with him netting seven times this season to date, Manchester United could feel he has the potential to grow with them.
Therefore, they could opt to test Union Saint-Gilloise’s resolve should they miss out on their primary target.
Jonathan David Vs Mateo Pellegrino Statistics 2024/2025
The final player that Amorim’s side could scout is Mateo Pellegrino, although it would be a surprise if the Argentinian forward did move as he only joined Parma in January from Vélez Sarsfield in his native nation.
However, when looking at his statistics, he is perhaps the exact player that Manchester United needs.
He ranks the same as David in percentile terms for goal contributions, shots, and touches in the opposing penalty area per game but lower than the Canadian for passes.
As a result, he is not the type of player that would drop back to get on the ball.
Instead, he was more likely to sit on the shoulder of the opposing defensive line and make intelligent runs whenever Amorim’s side progressed the ball into the final third.
It is that that he has been tasked with doing since joining Parma.
As with Evanilson, this would give Manchester United a better balance in their attack and would complement what Amorim likes and wants from Zirkzee in that it would give them a playmaker who can create chances and a striker who wants to play higher up the pitch.
He netted 10 goals in the 2024 Argentine Primera División season before leaving for Italy, making him a proven goalscorer.
That, too, could tempt Manchester United into testing the waters at the Serie A club.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this tactical analysis has examined Manchester United’s reported interest in Canada striker Jonathan David, highlighting why their fans hope he will move to Old Trafford in the summer as part of a wider squad rebuild and what the team would get from him if a move were to come about.
David is undoubtedly an extremely talented forward with an eye for goals and has been the subject of transfer rumours for many years.
With him available for free this summer and signalling his intention to move on from Lille once the campaign ends, there will likely be an intense battle between many sides to secure his signature.
If Manchester United were to win it, they would undoubtedly be gaining a player who might finally end their wait for a consistent goalscorer.
He could be what Amorim needs to finally inject some belief back into the team and fanbase, and this is certainly something to keep a close eye on over the coming months.
