Manchester United have struggled at both ends of the field this season, but particularly in attack, as only two teams have netted fewer Premier League goals.
This has put the Red Devils eighth in the league, a huge 14 points behind Liverpool, who are in first.
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With that in mind, Erik ten Hag will surely look to bolster his team in January, with a focus on improving the attack certainly on the agenda.
Man Utd transfers latest – Paulo Dybala
According to Graeme Bailey via mufcMPB, United have the opportunity to sign Paulo Dybala, who has been described as a “little genius” by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig.
The Argentine is keen to leave Roma, with a move to the Premier League potentially on the cards.
Dybala has a £10m release clause in his contract, which makes him an affordable option for plenty of clubs this winter.
Paulo Dybala’s style of play
With Man United not looking to extend Anthony Martial’s contract, according to The Athletic, the club may let go of their French attacker in January in order to gather funds.
The ex-Monaco star boy has had plenty of injury setbacks over the years, and he has only started seven matches for the Red Devils this season.
Therefore, Dybala could be the perfect Martial replacement, as he would provide experience and class to the relatively youthful United front line. The ex-Juventus gem has played as almost a second striker this season alongside Romelu Lukaku in a 3-5-2, and he has proved to be a goal-scoring and goal-creating machine.
The table below shows statistics from the 2023/24 Serie A season, that indicates he would be a hit at Old Trafford.
Dybala’s 2023/24 Serie A Stats | ||
|---|---|---|
Stats (per 90) | Dybala | Percentile |
Goals | 0.40 | Top 35% |
Assists | 0.61 | Top 1% |
Key passes | 2.63 | Top 1% |
Shot-creating actions | 4.75 | Top 1% |
Progressive carries | 4.65 | Top 4% |
Progressive passes | 6.57 | Top 1% |
Touches | 64.34 | Top 1% |
Stats via FBref | ||
Dybala is one of the most elite attackers in Italy, as shown by the percentiles above compared to other Serie A forwards, and his creativity – having produced six goals in 12 league games this term – would elevate United to an entirely new level.
The wizard has a wand of a left foot, which he uses to create moments of magic in the attacking third, as shown by the assists, key passes, and shot-creating actions. The Roma forward, alongside Bruno Fernandes, would supply an endless amount of service to Rasmus Hojlund, which would dramatically improve his output.
The World Cup winner is an incredibly intelligent footballer who can identify pockets of space to receive the ball. This isn’t always in the attacking third, however, as he can drop in deeper to progress the play through ball-carrying or passing. On top of that, he is a set-piece specialist who can put the ball in the back of the net.
Dybala can almost do everything with a football at his feet, and it is no surprise that he has been the heartbeat of every club he has been at. The ex-Palermo prospect is instrumental to the way his side plays, taking on responsibility, which is an aspect that United currently lacks.
Signing the Roma ace for a bargain £10m could be the steal of the window, yet the only downside to Dybala is his injury record. However, the United boss could fix that by managing his minutes and not overplaying the Argentine, which means it isn’t a huge concern. Most importantly, what he could bring to the side could just change United’s season entirely.
