Kaoru Mitoma has received high praise for his efforts with Brighton, Man United’s up coming rivals.
When Manchester United resumes Premier League play against Brighton on Saturday afternoon (3pm), it may be a tale of two burgeoning strikers. It will be worthwhile to keep at least one eye on the men who are attempting to supply Rasmus Hojlund and Evan Ferguson, though.
After an outstanding cameo off the bench against Arsenal, Hojlund is now prepared to make his full United debut, and his presence should relieve some of the goal-scoring pressure off of Marcus Rashford. Ferguson has, in the meantime, raised his profile with his first Premier League hat trick against Newcastle.
Hojlund and Ferguson, who are 20 and 18, will undoubtedly become household names in the future, but they currently under pressure to produce at their respective clubs. They are dependent on the players behind them even though they are capable of making things happen for themselves.
Given the current uncertainty surrounding Jadon Sancho and Antony, United are having issues in that regard. One is still unavailable for selection, while Sancho may be sidelined for a little longer following his astonishing altercation with Erik ten Hag, which was seen on television and on social media.
On Saturday in the afternoon, Rashford and the talented Alejandro Garnacho of Argentina will flank Hojlund. Despite the club spending nearly to £190 million on three right wingers in the previous two and a half years alone, Ten Hag does not currently have many other viable options.
Sancho appears to be out of favor, and Amad is injured, so Ten Hag has no other options besides Rashford and Garnacho. Despite how dangerous those two may be, they both tend to attack from the left, and Rashford, the more seasoned warrior, will almost certainly bear the brunt of the cost.
After the international break, United will need to revamp their attacking strategy, whilst Brighton, in contrast, will continue to run like a well-oiled machine despite yet another high-profile and high-paying departure. It’s amazing how they’ve responded to Alexis Mac Allister and Moises Caicedo departing.
Brighton’s success off the field is the result of an unrivaled system in place. They have discovered, signed, and sold other undiscovered diamonds besides Mac Allister and Caicedo for profit. They will not be the final.
Ferguson will unavoidably attract attention as he continues to lead their line with strength, speed, and accuracy. Assuming he advances at the same rate and the transfer market remains as intense, you may anticipate the potential figure to break numerous records whenever he moves on.
Numerous names will be written down on shopping lists for the big boys, including United, behind the incredibly gifted Irishman, and Kaoru Mitoma will be very much on the radar. Given United’s current offensive dilemma, he checks a lot of boxes, but there is one obvious sticking point.
Throughout his time at Brighton, Mitoma has primarily played on the left side, a position Rashford, Garnacho, and others, including Sancho, prefer. In 45 games while wearing the blue and white stripes, that has led to 11 goals and 11 assists, but that does not imply he would not be able to succeed on the right.
Because Brighton, like United, frequently utilize inverted forwards, the quick-footed Japan international is primarily used on the left, with Solly March being the preferred choice on the other side. However, Mitoma possesses all the traits needed for adaptation, and managers choose flexible solutions.
After signing seven players this summer, United is already making preparations for the following round of hiring. Mitoma, who is an obvious threat to United next up, will be in that exact scenario since the club is now keeping track of targets who will only have 12 months left on their contracts next summer.
