Man Utd to make ‘serious transfer attempt’ to sign new Robin van Persie in January

Manchester United can give Erik ten Hag a new Robin van Persie after the Old Trafford great returned to Carrington this week to work on his coaching badges alongside his Dutch teammate. After Cristiano Ronaldo’s contract expired in November, the Red Devils are in need of a new striker, and an intriguing possibility has arisen.

Dusan Vlahovic has been linked with a move away from Juventus as the Serie A giants’ hierarchy struggles and financial woes grow, exacerbated by the club’s Champions League group-stage exit. With speculation of a January switch picking up steam, United has emerged as a viable option.

According to Corriere Dello Sport, Manchester United intends to make a serious bid for Vlahovic during the January transfer window. Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, and Paris Saint-Germain are among the European heavyweights interested in signing the 22-year-old striker.

Vlahovic has scored 16 goals and contributed four assists in 36 games for Juventus since joining Fiorentina in January for a fee of £62 million. He scored six goals in ten Serie A appearances this season before suffering an injury and missing the final few games before the World Cup break.

United may use Van Persie’s recent return to the club as January inspiration and improve Ten Hag’s goalscoring possibilities with his own left-footed magician. The legendary No. 20 led United to their most recent triumph in his rookie season, 2012/13, with 26 goals and 15 assists in 31 Premier League games.

Van Persie scored 58 goals in 105 games to become the Netherlands’ all-time leading goalscorer. United are anxious for an attacker of the same caliber to bolster their underwhelming figures in the first few months of Ten Hag’s time in M16.

Marcus Rashford has eight goals for Manchester United this season, but Anthony Martial is second with four in seven matches.

Antony joins Bruno Fernandes and Jadon Sancho on three goals, but he hasn’t scored since his first three Premier League appearances.

Ten Hag cannot rely on Martial due to his continuous injury issues, and Rashford is better suited to operating in the left channel.

To avoid a disastrous maiden season at the helm, he will be exploring the market for a striker in the new year, and Vlahovic may have emerged as a key possibility.