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Romelu Lukaku has left Manchester United to join Inter Milan as Antonio Conte finally gets the man he wanted two years ago when he was Chelsea boss. There was competition for his signature but the Nerazzurri ultimately won out over rivals Juventus. With Ed Woodward unable to finalise a deal for Paulo Dybala, Mario Mandzukic or Inaki Williams, and the transfer window now closed, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has to stick with what he has in his squad until January at the earliest. Here is a look at the options he is likely to go with.
Anthony Martial through the centre
If pre-season is anything to go by, it looks like Anthony Martial is going to be used through the middle this year. The Frenchman has predominantly played on the wing since joining the club from Monaco but, just like Thierry Henry did at Arsenal, Ole will be hoping Martial can use his pace to good effect in the centre-forward position. It will be interesting to see how he adapts as he has become so adept at cutting inside from the left-wing to create openings. Marcus Rashford will provide strong competition for the role and is likely to be favourite, but they could fluidly interchange in a front three with one of them starting out wide or Solskjaer has the option of playing them both in a front two from which they have the option to roam wide, occupy the half-spaces or stay central. The 23-year-old scored 10 Premier League goals last season and if he is converted into this new role on a permanent basis, that number could rise significantly which will be a huge boost for Solskjaer. Martial looked dangerous through the middle, in games against AC Milan and Tottenham during the International Champions Cup, the latter of which he got on the scoresheet against. This season may be the one where United fans see a new-and-improved Martial.
Mason Greenwood and youth
Solskjaer has given the youth at United plenty of opportunities to shine during their pre-season tour of Australia. Particularly Mason Greenwood, who has rewarded his manager with some fine performances, especially against Leeds where he scored his first senior goal for the club. Greenwood is likely to be used in the early stages of the domestic cup competitions this season. Solskjaer won the FA Cup twice as a player, including during the famous treble of 1999, and he will be desperate to lift the cup as a manager too. United are 9/1 in the FA Cup betting this year where they are looking for their first success in the competition since 2016. Greenwood has a great chance to prove how good he is during these games and if he does deliver, he may be given more of a frequent role with the senior team.
Rejuvenation of Alexis Sanchez
Alexis Sanchez ended up staying at Manchester United, therefore, Solskjaer needs to find a way of getting more from the Chilean. Since arriving from Arsenal in January transfer window in 2018, Sanchez has scored just five goals in 45 games for the Red Devils. He managed just one Premier League goal last season in 20 appearances. The 30-year-old was once considered to be of the best players in the league, so Solskjaer has the challenge of trying to find that kind of form from him again in the 2019/2020 campaign. If he is successful, it will be like signing a new forward. Although Lukaku scored 42 goals in 96 games for United, it appears Solskjaer is happy to have let the forward leave with the above options ensuring the Reds have enough cover without him.
