Let’s face it, Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney is simply no longer the unstoppable player he once was when he first emerged within the Premier League all those years ago.
On the contrary, the now 29-year-old front-man’s career has trailed off so rapidly in recent seasons, many supporters out there no longer regard the former Everton forward as one of the best strikers in world football these days.
Rooney could have easily have been operating at the level of Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi by now had he managed to live up to his potential as a promising young star. As top-flight Premier League football simply doesn’t have time for any ‘could haves’ or ‘nearly players’ however, the current Red Devils front-man subsequently enters the 2015/16 campaign under far less guaranteed circumstances than in seasons past.
So then, in light of such a notion regarding the current England captain, here are five strikers who would potentially do a better job than Wayne Rooney at Old Trafford this season…
Romelu Lukaku
Whilst Manchester United’s reported interest in the big Belgian hasn’t been all that extensive this summer, Everton’s Romelu Lukaku could certainly do a fine job at Old Trafford this season should such an opportunity arise at the club. When it comes to scoring goals in the Premier League, the powerful centre-forward definitely seems to know how to go about his business rather effectively.
Lukaku was pretty much built to be a success in the English top-flight. The current Goodison Park favourite is undeniably strong, his presence in front of goal alone is enough to put some opponents off – and as for his success rate in one-on-one situations – the former Chelsea youngster rarely disappoints.
At only 22-years-old, Romelu Lukaku also offers a certain amount of hunger out on the pitch that Manchester United can arguably no longer count upon in Wayne Rooney. However, prizing the big centre-forward away from Everton any time soon will likely prove a distinctly difficult task for Louis van Gaal to say the very least.
Thomas Muller
As Louis van Gaal has already successfully landed one Bayern Munich favourite and German World Cup winner this summer in the illustrious Bastian Schweinsteiger, it would seemingly make sense for the enigmatic Dutchman to return to his old stomping ground once again and potentially move for Thomas Muller as well.
The current boss at Old Trafford ultimately proved the man willing to hand Muller his chance at the Allianz Arena just a few short seasons ago after all, so if the two could reignite their formally successful partnership in the Premier League this season, the outcome could seriously work wonders for Manchester United.
Thomas Muller will likely cost a great deal in today’s current market however – but seeing as he’s seemingly offered goals in abundance whilst previously operating in the Bundesliga – Manchester United should arguably do everything in their power to land the talented German front-man this summer.
Harry Kane
One of the less likely names to be making their way to Old Trafford this season arrives in the form of Tottenham’s home-grown striking sensation, Harry Kane. The England international simply dazzled the Premier League with his goal-scoring form last season, which is an aspect of Manchester United’s current game that seriously needs an update.
Alongside the likes of Memphis Depay and Juan Mata for the Red Devils, Harry Kane would certainly be provided with a fair amount of ammunition to continue his fine form should he decide to make a surprising move to Man United this summer. However, whether or not someone of his overall inexperience could effectively replace Wayne Rooney at Old Trafford seems like a different matter altogether…
Either way, it ultimately remains particularly difficult to imagine Tottenham Hotspur parting ways with their talented front-man so soon after making his mark at White Hart Lane, even if Manchester United try to blow Spurs out of the water with an incredibly sizable offer this summer.
Karim Benzema
Due to his incredible consistency in big matches and all-round tenacity in front of goal, the striking name on most Manchester United fan’s lips this summer nonetheless arrives as Real Madrid’s marquee front-man, Karim Benzema.
The powerful Frenchman has been targeted by a whole manner of different clubs this season, with certain other Premier League outfits reportedly monitoring the striker’s situation before the culmination of summer transfer window. Such a notion hardly comes as much of a surprise though, for Karim Benzema seemingly has just the skillset necessary to make it in the Premier League.
When it comes to linking up effectively with his teammates in the final third and causing problems for the opponent’s back-line, the 27-year-old front-man has simply done it all before. His physical nature matched with some impressive technical ability therefore makes the Real Madrid striker a much better option than Wayne Rooney in the cold light of day.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Yes, at 33-years-old age the Swedish international simply isn’t operating in the prime years of his career anymore. The current PSG star will obviously command a great deal of attention should he actually be on the move this summer, and of course, a player of such stature is bound to cost a great deal in weekly wages to say the very least – but seeing as this is Zlatan Ibrahimovic we are talking about here – Manchester United fans would seemingly back their club’s reported interest in the world star this summer regardless.
Zlatan has been an out-in-out winner wherever he has performed. If Louis van Gaal can somehow integrate the enigmatic front-man into his current ranks at Old Trafford effectively enough this summer, then the 2015/16 campaign would certainly turn out a largely enjoyable venture for all the Red Devils fans out there.
Whether or not the big centre-forward could out-perform someone like Wayne Rooney in the Premier League ultimately remains up for debate, yet considering how well the Swede has performed in Serie A, La Liga and Ligue 1 in the past, very few fans in the modern era would ever see fit to turn down Zlatan, would they?
