One of the issues with Manchester United’s current squad is the lack of goals upfront from strikers Joshua ZIrkzee and Rasmus Hojlund. Zirkzee is a player who brings so much more aside from goals, given his ability to link up play, although Ruben Amoirm would perhaps have liked to have seen him score more than the four goals he has managed so far.
Hojlund is a player who possesses great talent but has looked short of confidence at times this season. He has scored seven goals in the 2024/25 campaign, although just two of those have come in the Premier League.
Marcus Rashford also seems set to leave the club, with The Manchester Evening News reporting that Aston Villa are closing in on a late move for the 27-year-old.
To help add goals to their sides – and potentially fill Rashford’s ‘void’ – United have been linked with a new striker in the final days of the transfer window.
Man Utd's search for a striker
The player in question here is Bayer Leverkusen striker Victor Boniface. The 24-year-old Nigerian international came close to a move to Saudi side Al Nassr at the start of the week, and although the deal broke down, he could still leave the German champions.
Transfer Focus
According to a report from journalist Graeme Bailey, United ‘have been made aware of his situation’ due to ‘historic interest’ they have in signing him, and could make a move before the transfer window slams shut on Monday.
The Saudi side had agreed on a fee of £50m for the Nigerian, so it is safe to assume he could cost United anywhere upwards of that fee.
However, they are not the only Premier League side to have been offered the chance to sign him. London trio Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur have also been notified of his availability, as have Aston Villa, who need a replacement for Jhon Duran after his move to Al Nassr.
Why Boniface would be a good signing
If there is one thing Boniface will bring to United’s attack, it is perhaps the thing they need most; goals. This season, he has managed to find the back of the net eight times in 15 appearances in all competitions.
He made a strong start to the 2024/25 campaign, with six goals and an assist in the first ten Bundesliga games, but an injury has since kept him sidelined. However, that was certainly a contention of his form the previous season.
In arguably the best team of 2023/24, Boniface led the attack under Xabi Alonso superbly. He managed 21 goals and ten assists in 34 games, showing why football talent scout Jacek Kulig described him as a “complete forward”.
Just as he did this season, he started the 2023/24 on fire, with nine goals and assists in seven top-flight games.
He has also managed to outperform Rashford over the past few seasons. It has not been an easy couple of campaigns for the England international, who has seven goals across all competitions this season and managed just eight last term.
However, he has an exemplary record at his boyhood club, with 138 goals to his name, in 426 appearances since making his debut back in 2015/16.
Should United manage to sign Boniface, he could be their own version of Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane. Former manager Erik ten Hag confirmed that the club wanted to bring the England captain to Old Trafford in the summer of 2023, but they “couldn’t get him”, with the Bundesliga giants instead winning the race.
In their search for more goals, there is no doubt that Kane would have brought just that to United. His record for Bayern is simply outstanding, with 70 goals and 22 assists in just 72 games. He has been phenomenal.
The Red Devils might have their own version of Kane if they signed the Nigerian striker. The pair are noted as similar players across Europe’s top five leagues, as per FBref, showing just how deadly Leverkusen’s number 22 can be in front of goal.
For example, Boniface has an expected goals per game of 0.89xG, compared to Kane’s 0.86xG. The Leverkusen star also averaged 3.7 shot-creating actions per game, with Kane only slightly more, averaging 3.73 shot-creating actions per game.
Stat (per 90)
Boniface
Kane
Expected goals
0.89xG
0.86xG
Shots
5.47
3.79
Shots on target
1.19
1.57
Goals per shot on target
0.43
0.42
Shot-creating actions
3.7
3.73
This could be a brilliant deal for United. For ‘just’ £50m, they would be beating some of their biggest rivals to a striker whose numbers are up there with the England captain, and who could certainly add goals to their side.
This could be the exact deal Amorim needs to help his side push for a respectable Premier League finish.
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ByJoe NuttallJan 31, 2025