Manchester United transfer need underlined as obvious gap to Man City and Arsenal is highlighted

Manchester United need to sign a centre-forward this summer; that is no secret to anyone. Erik ten Hag's issues at number nine have been apparent all season. It is the number one priority position that must be addressed in the transfer window.

MEN Sporthave reported that Harry Kane is Ten Hag's preferred choice to fill the void at the top of United's attack. Any deal for the England captain, who has one year left on his contract, will not be easy to negotiate.

Victor Osimhen is another target, although he will not come cheap either. Italian club Napoli are rumoured to have set a price tag in excess of £100 million on Osimhen to ward off interest.

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It's easy to see why United need a frontman. Anthony Martial has endured another season blighted by injuries and has never convinced a range of managers that he can be a consistent goal-scorer down the middle.

Wout Weghorst's minutes have dried up as his influence has wained on the side. The Dutchman was a short-term fix and United have decided they won't be signing him permanently from Burnley at the end of his loan.

What everyone can see from their eyes is backed up by the numbers too. Looking at the attacking numbers from each team in the Premier League, United's lack of proficiency is evident.

Comparing United's expected goals tally (xG) to the number of goals they've actually scored, only four clubs have performed worse. Ten Hag's side should have scored 54.5 goals based on their xG but have scored 7.5 fewer (47).

Only Chelsea (10.1), Everton (9.6) and West Ham (8.7) have registered a larger difference and this underlines why a striker is absolutely necessary for United this summer. By