Manchester United have endured a frustrating first half of the 2023/24 campaign and will be hoping for significant improvement in 2024.
Erik ten Hag's side are currently seventh in the Premier League as it stands and have lost nine of their opening 20 matches in the top-flight.
The Red Devils have already been knocked out of Europe as they finished bottom of their Champions League group with one win out of six games, which means that they will not play any European football until next season at the earliest.
United are still in the FA Cup and have Wigan to come this weekend, which could be their most realistic chance of securing silverware this term.
The January transfer window, which is now open for business, has provided them with an opportunity to bolster the squad in order to give them a better chance of achieving success over the coming months.
Adding more creativity and goals to the team should be a priority as 16 other Premier League sides have outscored United so far this season.
Man United transfer news – Rayan Cherki
With this in mind, ten Hag should push for the club to secure a deal for reported transfer target Rayan Cherki before the end of the window.
FootballTransfers reported last month that the Lyon starlet is on the club's radar as they consider a swoop to sign the talented attacking midfielder.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe is said to be keen for the Red Devils to complete a deal for the French whiz and the young ace has been of interest to the club 'for a while'.
Football Insider reported in November that Newcastle United and Manchester United were both keeping tabs on Cherki ahead of the January window.
They claimed that both teams see him as a star in the making, whilst fellow Premier League side Chelsea could also enter the race for his signature.
The outlet also added that Lyon are set to demand a fee of up to £40m, and a minimum of £30m, to part ways with the exciting gem in 2024.
This suggests that it would not be a super expensive deal for the club to complete. However, they could need to beat off interest from Chelsea and Newcastle to land his signature, which could be difficult if they continue to lose matches and plummet down the table over the coming weeks.
United must work hard to win the race for Cherki and convince him to make the move to Old Trafford as ten Hag could bring him in as an instant upgrade on Mason Mount, who arrived from Chelsea last summer.
Mason Mount's season in numbers
The England international joined the club from the Blues ahead of the 2023/24 campaign for a reported fee of £55m, plus an extra £5m in potential add-ons.
It has been a frustrating first six months in Manchester for the attacking midfielder as his form on the pitch has been poor and he has been hit with injury woes.
The 24-year-old attacker recently made a return to training after a calf injury that caused him to miss ten competitive matches, which came after he was absent for six games due to injury earlier in the campaign.
On the pitch, Mount has produced zero goals, zero assists, and zero 'big chances' created in eight Premier League appearances – including four starts.
He has played 12 matches in all competitions for the Red Devils and contributed with zero goals, one assist, and one 'big chance' created in total.
Appearances
24
Goals
Three
Assists
Two
Big chances created
Three
Key passes per game
1.3
As you can see from the table above, United signed Mount off the back of an unproductive season in front of goal for Chelsea in the top-flight during the 2022/23 campaign.
He did not contribute with goals, assists, or 'big chances' created on a regular basis for his boyhood club but that did not stop ten Hag from swooping to sign him for up to £60m.
The England international's struggles this term should, therefore, not be a surprise and there is no recent evidence to suggest that his form is going to drastically improve in the coming weeks or months.
This is why the United head coach should now push to sign Cherki this month as the French ace could come in as an immediate upgrade on the former Chelsea lightweight.
The statistics that show why United should sign Cherki
The 20-year-old magician has been in splendid form for Lyon over the past 18 months and has the potential to offer more than Mount at the top end of the pitch.
Since the start of last season, Cherki has made 51 Ligue 1 appearances for his club and chipped in with four goals, eight assists, and 17 'big chances' created.
This means that the French youngster has produced a goal or a 'big chance' created every 2.43 league matches for Lyon during that period.
Whereas, Mount has three goals and three 'big chances' created in 32 Premier League games for Chelsea and United combined since the start of the 2022/23 campaign, which is one every 5.33 matches on average.
These statistics suggest that Cherki has the ability to make an impact at the top end of the pitch far more frequently than the current United whiz, which could, therefore, help to increase the goal output from ten Hag's team.
In fact, the 20-year-old talent currently ranks within the top 9% of attacking midfielders and wingers within the Men's Big Five Leagues and European competitions over the last 365 days for shot-creating actions (5.19) per 90.
Meanwhile, Mount ranks below average in the bottom 49% of attacking midfielders and wingers with 3.70 shot-creating actions per 90 over the last 365 days.
This shows that the United target, who was once hailed as a "joy to watch" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, can offer far more than the English dud in possession.
Therefore, ten Hag must pursue a deal for the £40m-rated wizard as the evidence of the last 18 months indicates that Cherki – with his creative brilliance – could elevate United's attack to a level that Mount is not capable of reaching.
