Manchester United are looking for a striker following Cristiano Ronaldo’s contract termination. The Portuguese international has left a space vacant at the top of the attack for Manchester United. The Red Devils are keen on replacing him as they have limited striking options in the team. One of the players that is emerging as a recent target is French striker Marcus Thuram. The Frenchman was a member of the French World Cup squad and has been an important member of the Bundesliga club Borussia Monchengladbach. His contract expires in the summer, and the German club will look to cash in on the striker in the coming transfer window. With Marcus Thuram being a cheap alternative, let us look at some of his stats that show why he is attracted to the English Premier League.
How has the season gone so far?
Marcus Thuram joined Gladbach in 2019 and has been an important figure in the attack for the German side. The 25-year-old had a disappointing last season, with most of his appearances coming off the bench. However, things have changed this time, and Thuram is back in his original form. The striker has played every minute in the Bundesliga and has ten goals in 15 appearances. The above pizza chart shows the stats of the player in comparison to other centre forwards in the German top division. It can be observed that the player is ranked highly for taking shots, attempting dribbles, and taking touches inside the opposition’s penalty box. He is a number nine who can also play on the flanks if needed.
A prolific goalscorer
Marcus Thuram is the Bundesliga’s joint second-highest goal scorer this season. He has ten goals to his name and has also provided three assists. With an average of 3.17 shots per 90 minutes, the striker has taken 51 shots and has a high accuracy rate of 54.9%. The shot map shows that Thuram likes to take his shots from inside the penalty box. Most of the shot attempts have been made from around the penalty spot. The benchmarking shows that Thuram has the fifth-best average for shots per 90 minutes. He is behind Bayern Munich’s trio and Burkardt.
Marcus Thuram is a central figure in the attack and likes to drift towards the right side. The 25-year-old takes 4.7 touches per 90 minutes inside the opposition’s penalty box. The heatmap shows that most of the touches are toward the centre or on the left side. The ball penetration into the penalty box also suggests that Thuram likes to come in from the left side. His dribbling has also been effective. The striker makes 4.47 dribbles per 90 minutes and enjoys a 58.3% success rate. His pace also makes him a dangerous figure in the attack.
Could the youngster replace Ronaldo?
Cristiano Ronaldo had a disappointing end to his Manchester United career. He made ten appearances in the English Premier League this season and scored one goal. The above viz compares the stats of the two players per 90 minutes. Marcus Thuram is a better dribbler and has also contributed on the defensive side as well. His passes are more progressive and dangerous. His young legs will give United more pace than what Ronaldo used to offer. The striker looks like a replacement for the Portuguese superstar.
Manchester United will be eager to buy a forward in the winter transfer window. Their wishlist carries a lot of big names, including Marcus Thuram. The Frenchman is a very cheap alternative, and the Red Devils might cash in on him in the coming days. Thuram will be eager to make his first move to a big club.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
