'You need a striker' - Paul Ince names three Serie A players Manchester United should target in January transfer window
Man United were considering a transfer for Napoli striker Victor Osimhen before they signed Rasmus Hojlund.
Paul Ince has urged Manchester United to target three Serie A players in their attempts to strengthen their squad in the January transfer window.
Spending under Erik ten Hag - who was appointed as United's manager last summer - has topped the £400million-mark while Andre Onana, Mason Mount and Rasmus Hojlund cost the Premier League giants £183million combined this summer. However, the latter has been unable to open his domestic account.
Hojlund, 20, scored five goals in six Champions League matches before United were eliminated at the group stage. Goals remain a huge problem, though, and one Ince wants his old club to solve quickly.
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And he has identified Lautaro Martinez, Domenico Berardi and Nicolo Barella as the three men to do so. Speaking as part of a promotion for DAZN Bet with the January transfer window around the corner, the midfielder-turned-manager and TV pundit said: "Lautaro Martinez and Victor Osimhen are two players who have been looked at by Premier League teams - particularly Osimhen, whose relationship with the owners at Napoli has become a bit fragmented. [Liverpool striker] Darwin Nunez and Hojlund aren't clinical finishers.
"Martinez and Osimhen are. Domenico Berardi would also be fantastic in the Premier League."
Ince, who spent two years at Inter Milan after leaving United in 1995, added: "United don't have an identified striker at the moment as [Anthony] Martial, [Marcus] Rashford, and Hojlund have hardly scored this season and you need a striker who'll get at least 25 goals-a-season if you want to seriously challenge for trophies.
"Rashford achieved that last season by scoring 31 goals and it resulted in United getting a Champions League place. I'd say [Inter midfielder] Nicolo Barella would also be a great fit as United need someone like him in midfield."
Ince played 267 matches for United between 1989 and 1995, scoring 27 goals with 16 assists. He also won five major trophies in his time at Old Trafford, including two Premier League titles.