Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku might not last much longer at Old Trafford if his current form continues, but who could succeed him?
The Red Devils are 10th in the Premier League after nine matches of the new season and are struggling to string a sequence of wins together, largely due to the fact that they are severely lacking a spark in the final third of the pitch.
Lukaku has led the line for Jose Mourinho’s men since his arrival in 2017 and during his first season he managed to hit 27 goals in all competitions, but that record didn’t tell the full story.
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While the Belgian is undeniably a handful in full-flow, he can also be incredibly frustrating to watch, lumbering around in the opposition’s half with a clumsy aura which translates in his astoundingly poor ball control and at times incredibly wasteful finishing.
The 25-year-old has just four goals to his name in 13 matches so far this term and supporters are becoming increasingly impatient with him, as he has justifiably become the main scapegoat whenever the team fails to secure a positive result, which is all too often in recent times.
Mourinho has backed his number one striker publicly, however, he may privately already be drawing up a list of potential replacements with the January transfer window fast approaching and his job very much on the line.
Gone are the days when the likes of Robin Van-Persie, Dimitar Berbatov, Wayne Rooney and Ruud Van Nistelrooy tormented defences upfront under the stewardship of Sir Alex Ferguson.
In their place has been a long line of pretenders not fit to wear the shirt or indeed remotely capable of helping to restore the glory days and Lukaku is, unfortunately, falling into that bracket at the moment.
Caught Offside has compiled a short list of top European centre-forwards who could be drafted in to take his place and crucially, each one could realistically be tempted away from their current surroundings.
Harry Kane (Tottenham)
First up is one of the Premier League’s most consistent strikers over the last five years and the man who is most directly responsible for solidifying Tottenham’s status as a top four club – Harry Kane.
The Englishman has scored over 20 goals in each of his last four seasons for Spurs, winning two Golden Boots in the process, and has already boldly set his sights on breaking Alan Shearer’s all-time league record.
At 25 years old there is every chance that we have yet to see the best of Kane, which is a scary thought given his numbers, but is he ready for a big money move?
There is a general feeling among experts that he will eventually outgrow Spurs and pursue major trophies with a bigger club, as he has already stated his ambition to reach the level of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi one day.
A traditional centre-forward in every sense of the word, Kane would be an upgrade on Lukaku and the perfect foil for the likes of Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard, both of whom he works with at international level.
Mauro Icardi (Inter Milan)
Serie A may not be the best league in Europe anymore, but it does remain the best place to see well-organised defences with a no-nonsense style and unique physicality, meaning any striker that thrives in that environment must be taken seriously.
One man who fits that bill is Icardi, whose record at Inter reads 110 goals scored in just 188 games over the last five years of his career.
The Argentine striker has hit the ground running again at the start of the 2018-19 campaign, most notably producing a match-winning performance against Spurs in the Champions League back in September and his eye for goal has earned him attention from a whole host of clubs around Europe.
According to the Daily Express, Chelsea and Barcelona are interested in pursuing him in 2019, but United could enter the race for his signature if Lukaku continues to struggle.
Icardi would likely cost the Red Devils a huge sum of money, but he has the credentials to be an instant hit at Old Trafford and he is only going to improve as he approaches his prime at 25 years of age.
Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
Next up is a man who has been linked with a move to Old Trafford on several occasions in the past, not to mention just about every other top European club in the world, because of his exploits in the Bundesliga for the German champions.
Lewandowski is 30 now, but he is still standing out in a Bayern team which has struggled at the start of the new season, scoring five goals in his first seven league appearances this term.
165 goals in 205 appearances in total for the Bavarian giants tells you all you need to know about this man’s credentials and Mourinho might be tempted to mount a bid for a player with his experience and quality at the highest level in the new year.
The Polish striker is strong, great in the air and above all else absolutely deadly in the box, which makes him the perfect replacement for the misfiring lummox Lukaku.
He is contracted to Bayern until 2021 but if United were to move for him in the new year he might be tempted to try his hand in English football, where his attributes would be very well suited, to say the least.
Edinson Cavani (Paris Saint Germain)
Cavani might be 33 years old and playing in Ligue 1, which is widely regarded as one of the weaker leagues in Europe, but he remains one of the most deadly goalscorers in the game.
Playing alongside Neymar and Kylian Mbappe in PSG’s front three continues to prove extremely profitable for the Uruguayan in terms of goals scored, as he has already managed to find the net five times in seven league starts this season.
Cavani’s technique is second to none, which makes him capable of finding the net with shots which often defy logic and his movement in the final third of the pitch is exceptional.
One of Lukaku’s biggest faults is how static he is when United go forward, but if Cavani was leading the line, all kinds of openings would appear as he draws defenders out of position with his intelligent runs in behind.
Because of his age, United might be able to get him at a cut-price fee, which might tempt Mourinho when the transfer window reopens after Christmas.
Krzysztof Piatek (Genoa)
Last but by no means least is Piatek, the Polish striker who has burst onto the scene at the start of the season by scoring nine goals in Genoa’s first eight Serie A matches.
The 23-year-old hit-man is experiencing his first taste of European football after moving to Italy from his homeland and he is thriving despite playing in an average team, which begs the question, just how good would he be playing alongside world-class players?
Piatek is a classic goalscorer in every sense of the word, with an explosive turn of pace and speed of thought in the box which makes him an absolute nightmare for opposition defenders.
United could desperately do with more speed and end product in advanced areas at the moment, with Lukaku content to slow things down in possession rather than link up quickly with the players around him.
Piatek’s name is all over the press being linked with just about every top club in Europe at the moment, but if United threw their names in the hat too, the prospect of being the man to revive the club’s fortunes might persuade him to take his first foray into English football with the Red Devils in 2019.