Former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has advised the Red Devils and Arsenal to sign quality striker ahead of next season’s Premier League.
The England international had sympathy for Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund when he analysed their display for his former club in their 1-1 draw to Arsenal on Sunday afternoon.
In a chat with BBC, Rooney stated that Arsenal and Man United may struggle to make meaningful impact next season.
“I always feel the teams with the best number nines have the best chance of winning things,” United’s all-time record goalscorer, who won five Premier League titles, told BBC Sport.
“Liverpool are probably an exception to that, with the way they rotate the player they use through the middle, rather than having a regular number nine that the team is built around.
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“The number nine is still so important for them, though. Mohamed Salah, cutting in from wide areas, is their main goalscorer but, whether it is Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota or Darwin Nunez in the centre, they all chip in with a good amount of goals.”
“A proper number nine – a forward who has played there his whole life – brings something different to any team,” he explained.
“I am talking about that natural goalscoring instinct, which a player who is trying to learn the position probably doesn’t have.
“A midfielder playing forward like Merino can get hold of the ball and bring others into play, but what a goalscorer brings is that selfishness of wanting to be in the penalty area to finish chances.
“As we saw on Sunday, Rice was trying to help Arsenal to fill that position, as the player who was always making forward runs and arriving in the box. He did really well in that advanced role, but he cannot always be there.”
