Through Ruben Amorim's first few games in charge, Manchester United has had a tough time scoring goals. Much blame has been placed on the two young strikers - Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee. And while they are partly to blame, the lack of a wide threat has compounded the problem.
While United fans finally have something to feel excited about after their unexpectedly great performance at Anfield, they still have glaring issues that need to be fixed in order to climb out of the abhorrent 13th table position they are in.
Manchester United Must Sign A New Left-Back For Amorim
Amorim has been unsurprisingly stubborn in his playstyle, continuing with the 3-2-5 system he used at Sporting. The problem has been that the squad is not suited to this type of formation, particularly at the two wide-back spots. Dalot and Mazraoui have tried their best and are fairly capable in the first phase.
However, when it comes to providing output in the final third, such as underlapping/overlapping runs and crosses, they are not up to par. It is especially a problem considering this is where Amorim's teams like to provide balls into the box and stretch the opposition's backline. Without it, the attacking threat burns out and leads to passive possession and, ultimately, fewer goals being scored. This has led to the disastrous attacking performances that United has put up lately and is a cause for concern.
Rayan Ait-Nouri is the ideal choice
The most obvious solution is bringing in a new left-back in the January transfer window. While some names have been floated around, I think United should target Rayan Ait-Nouri from Wolves.
Ait-Nouri comes with winger-like quality from wingback. Having played under back-five managers, Ait-Nouri has intimate experience with running the wings. Beyond that, he actually can provide threat when called upon. He has three goals and five assists so far this season on a struggling Wolves team. He surely could provide help on United's lefthand side, providing crosses and cut-back passes.
Bringing in Ait-Nouri, along with a true goalscorer, will surely help United's bid in achieving European qualification.