Finishing eighth in the table for a club like Manchester United is a disgrace, but arguably the worst statistic to come out of this season is their goal difference of -1.
The defence has been highlighted as a big issue, but the attack has also been uninspiring, and despite the performances of Amad Diallo in recent weeks – who scored against Newcastle – the right-wing role has been a problem position this season.
With Antony netting just one Premier League goal all campaign, Alejandro Garnacho has filled the void, but he’s better suited to a spot on the left.
With that in mind, it’s no surprise to see that Sir Jim Ratcliffe is keen to sign a new right-sided winger this summer, with one player potentially holding the keys to unlocking Rasmus Hojlund’s true potential.
Man United want to sign a new right-winger
According to a report from Fabrizio Romano who was speaking to GiveMeSport, Man United “would like to sign” Michael Olise this summer.
Regardless of whether United are able to sign the attacker, it’s predicated that he will be moving on from Crystal Palace this summer after an impressive season.
Newcastle United and Arsenal are said to be the competition, while Chelsea could return after failing to sign him last year.
Olise has a clause in his contract that would enable a buyout, but it reportedly stands at £70m as per Football Insider, which obviously doesn’t make him a cheap option.
Why Olise could turn Hojlund into a monster
Despite receiving plenty of criticism throughout the campaign, Hojlund should be relatively pleased with his first season as a United player.
The 21-year-old striker has gone through spells of drought over the last year, but he’s still racked up an impressive 16 goals across all competitions, including ten in the Premier League and five in the Champions League.
What makes this output so remarkable is the lack of support and service he’s received all season, boasting an xG of just 7.64 in the league.
A player who could certainly boost the number of opportunities that the Dane receives is Olise, who’s proven to be one of the best players in the Premier League this season.
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Olise vs Antony 23/24 PL Stats |
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|---|---|---|
|
Stats (per 90) |
Olise |
Antony |
|
Goals |
0.71 (Top 3%) |
0.07 (Bottom 95%) |
|
Assists |
0.42 (Top 4%) |
0.07 (Bottom 84%) |
|
Key passes |
2.54 (Top 8%) |
1.50 (Bottom 53%) |
|
Successful dribbles |
2.82 (Top 9%) |
1.77 (Top 32%) |
|
Shot-creating actions |
5.79 (Top 5%) |
3.74 (Top 48%) |
|
Crosses |
6.85 (Top 2%) |
1.09 (Bottom 85%) |
|
Via FBref (% = ranking among positional peers) |
||
As you can see from the table above, Olise completely wipes the floor with Antony in every single metric, but he does that to most Premier League wingers given his percentile.
Despite most of his season being disrupted by a hamstring injury, the French attacker has been absolutely unstoppable, scoring ten goals and providing six assists in just 14 Premier League starts.
What makes the 22-year-old so deadly is that he’s an incredibly unpredictable player who can serve as both a creative outlet and a goal scorer simultaneously.
Olise is a complete player who boats insane technical ability via his passing and direct dribbling, with his trademark move being a cut inside onto his deadly left foot, as witnessed by United recently when he netted twice.
This level of chance creation would have a tremendous impact on Hojlund’s performance, particularly because he ranks in the top 2% for crosses, which, considering the Dane’s physicality, he thrives on.
Furthermore, the former Reading player can thrive in any game state, whether that be on the counterattack or against a low block, which would make him a perfect fit for the team, even if Erik ten Hag is no longer at the club next season.
Overall, Man United must sign Olise this summer. He could become the face of the rebuild, and he could just become United’s own version of Phil Foden, given that he’s classed as a similar player to Olise by FBref.
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