Rating the Rumour – Mehdi Taremi to Manchester United | OneFootball

Man United’s Hunt for an Experienced Forward

Welcome back to Rating the Rumour, which does exactly what it says on the tin. We’ll be taking the biggest transfer rumours related to Premier League teams and rating the likelihood of the moves coming to fruition.

The final rating will be decided based on the potential fit of the player into the rumoured buying club, the need for that club to sign a player for the position played, whether the player is of the level required by the club, whether the club could afford the rumoured price and whether or not the player is even likely to be available for transfer.

We will not factor in the reliability of the rumour, as it would likely cause mass amounts of crying from outlets, journalists and “journalists” who would have to be denounced as spoofers.

With the ground rules laid out, let’s look at Mehdi Taremi to Manchester United, which has been reported by TeamTalk.

Fit

Erik Ten Hag does like to play with a big physical striker, like Sebastian Haller when he was at Ajax and Wout Weghorst during his first season at Old Trafford. It’s the reason the Dutch tactician saw fit to splash heavily on Rasmus Hojlund this past summer.

Taremi very much fits the bill. The big bustling Iranian frontman is a veteran line leader who excels in build-up play as well as being very capable in front of goal. Taremi possesses the type of selfless work rate and the skillset to work well in a Ten Hag team.

Fit Rating – 2/2

Need

Manchester United’s current striker options are Hojlund, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford. Rashford is very more suited to a wide role and Martial has never shown the type of consistency required to suggest he can be relied on.

Hojlund is the starting number 9 but United could use a player to rotate with him, and perhaps even take him out of the firing line. Hojlund is yet to score in the Premier League and his performances have been erratic. He’s likely also not fully fit after the back injury which cost him a good chunk of pre-season and the early stages of the season.

Taremi would provide a good alternative to Hojlund, as well as a mentor to help the young Dane develop.

Need Rating – 2/2

Level

The jump from the Portuguese Primeira Liga to the Premier League is significant, but we have seen a lot of players successfully make the transition in recent years. Taremi, however, is 31 and might have a tougher time taking his game up a level to meet the demands of the Premier League.

He is a proven Champions League operator though, and if United are looking at him purely as a backup/rotation addition then he should be fine.

Level Rating – 1/2

Affordability

According to TeamTalk, the player is available for just under £9mil, which makes sense as he will only have six months left on his contract come January. He’s unlikely to demand huge wages, and even if he was Manchester United have happily paid extortionate wages to players since Sir Alex Ferguson retired.

Even if reports that United will not have large sums to spend in January are true, this deal should prove easily doable for the Old Trafford club.

Affordability Rating – 2/2

For Sale?

With his contract running down and seemingly no movement on an extension, it seems a likely bet that Porto would be open to a sale.

Availability Rating 2/2

Final Rating

Overall, this rumour comes out as a 9/10. Taremi isn’t a superstar talent who will elevate United to the next level, but he would be a clever squad addition and adding him should ease the burden on Rasmus Hojlund and aid his development. A developed Hojlund is a player who could elevate United.