After every game this season, Manchester United’s need to sign a striker is becoming more and more urgent.
Marcus Rashford has been leading the line, somewhat inappropriately given his past flourishing as an inside left forward, and his performances (and lack of goals) against Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea raised the question of whether he could be a profitable number nine for United.
Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to walk out the door imminently. Anthony Martial’s injury and goal history is unreliable. A booster is needed, preferably in January.
Although John Murtough noted there won’t be any major moves in the winter transfer window, there are some budget buys available that would help manic owners racking up debt.
The Peoples Person had already set their sights on the excellent young Canadian striker Jonathan David from LOSC Lille, and this time another striker from Ligue 1 is the subject.
Terem Moffi sits one goal behind David and two behind Kylian Mbappe in this season’s top scorers table with eight goals to his credit.
Playing for a team in stellar form, Lorient has provided Moffi with the platform to be a talisman in one of Europe’s top leagues. Three years ago they signed the Nigerian from Kortrijk for 8 million euros.
Having played 11 league games so far this season, Moffi is currently putting together an average contribution of 0.88 goals per 90 minutes. What’s more, is that he scored eight of his goals this season from an xG of six. The high performance end product shows the supreme finish of it.
Moffi’s goals have all been diverse in nature. He hit a Ruud van Nistelrooy-style half volley from an unfavorable angle recently against Stade Brestois. Running from behind between center back and left back, Moffi picked up a lofted pass, making sure to get his body between the defender and the ball, and smashed it into the opposite corner.
In the same match, the 23-year-old showed off his varied skills as a striker. Not only can he score the spectacular and technically supreme goal, but he also demonstrated his basic but vital instinct in the opponent’s box.
While Lorient was putting the ball very well in the Brestois penalty area, Moffi was hiding behind a defender while his teammate tried the goal. The shot was parried, only for the ball to be deflected into space near where Moffi was occupying. And how did he jump? Running ahead of the defender, the determined striker scored his second of the afternoon.
Moffi is beginning to master the perfect balance between Chicharito-style poaching and Nani-style stunners. This unpredictable quality and the ability to adapt finishing techniques is what defines a great striker. This year he has scored by boldly jumping the goalkeeper and simply running to the front post to put the ball into the net.
Also, it’s not like Moffi is making ridiculous efforts to increase his scoring output. The Nigerian is clinical, confident and smart in his shot selection. He currently has a 35% conversion rate.
What has been noticeably different this season compared to others is Moffi’s overall development and growth as a dynamic centre-forward.
Every season at Lorient, his passing accuracy has increased. This season, his short passes have a remarkable 87% success rate. Such a crisp, intelligent and contained pass from a striker would appease Erik ten Hag’s fluid and sharp attacking style of play.
In keeping with Ten Hag’s desire for a multifunctional forward, Moffi has added to Lorient’s impressive development this season. He has touched the ball 140 times in the middle third of the field and 104 times in the attacking third. Such dynamism would present the opportunity for a quicker transition game on the United side.
Regarding defensive actions, Moffi has tallied 98 pressures on opposition players, just 4 behind Marcus Rashford, who has been praised for his efforts to shut down defenders this season. With this pressure, however, comes a formidable athlete: Moffi is the second fastest player in Ligue 1 (Mbappé is in first place).
At just 23 years old, Moffi has shown his ability to develop throughout his short career and consequently indicated that his ceiling could continue to rise under the watchful eye of Ten Hag and his coaching staff. He has already become one of the best strikers in France. Equipped with the ability to produce diverse and sure shots, the Nigerian has become a lethal operator who loves to be directly in front of goal.
Also, his contract will expire at the end of next season (June 2024). Combined with a current value of €12m, Murtough and Richard Arnold should be able to juggle finances to facilitate such a transfer and appease Glazernomics.
Moffi’s determined body language, pace and instinct would suggest he could fit perfectly into Erik ten Hag’s system and United’s strikerless attack.
