Manchester United Transfer News: Mario Gomez Targeted, Alexandre Pato Rumours

Manchester United have been linked with a shock move for Besiktas forward Mario Gomez, with manager Louis van Gaal said to be very keen on the Germany international striker.  

According to the Manchester Evening News (h/t Calciomercato, via Jamie Sanderson of Metro), the Dutchman is “desperate” to land a forward, with the veteran being linked. Gomez has long been considered as one of European football’s finest finishers and is looking to rediscover his form in Turkish football on loan away from Fiorentina.

As we can see here, up to now, Gomez has performed well for his temporary employers:

His goalscoring instincts have definitely resurfaced with an increased amount of playing time. While the Turkish top flight isn’t quite to the same standard as other European leagues, it’s clear Gomez remains a savvy operator around the penalty area; regardless of which league you’re playing in, those little movements are very tough to mark.

ALEXANDER NEMENOV/Getty Images

The goals have flowed as a result for Gomez, with nine in all competitions for Besiktas so far. As we can see here, courtesy of OptaCan, his goals-per-minute ratio has been very impressive:

The Red Devils have struggled in front of goal this season, especially as of late, with three consecutive 0-0 draws in their last three games. Wayne Rooney has laboured at the point of the attack, and Van Gaal’s obsession with controlling matches seems to have nullified the Red Devils’ attacking sharpness.

Indeed, the statistics show United need an injection of attacking quality, per Squawka Football:

Gomez isn’t the right man to trigger this change in fortune. The forward is someone who needs regular service to score goals; he's not a creator of chances himself, and at United, he simply wouldn’t be afforded the appropriate ammunition. For the time being, Besiktas is the best place for him to continue re-establishing himself as a top striker.

Alexandre Pato Wants Premier League Move

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Brazil international striker Alexandre Pato has revealed he will not be a Sao Paolo player next season, per Radio Globo, and according to talkSPORT (via Colin Harvey of the Daily Star), Manchester United are interested in landing him.

Pato is currently on loan at Sao Paolo from Corinthians and has insisted he won’t be returning to the club for a second spell. Instead, he fancies a move to the Premier League or La Liga, as he seeks to get his career back on track, per Radio Globo: “Next year I won’t be playing at Sao Paulo, everybody knows that. I hope England or Spain. I do not know if I can stay with Corinthians. I just try to do as well as possible. In football nothing is certain, so it’s no problem to return to Corinthians.”

Alexandre Schneider/Getty Images

Pato has been enjoying a fine season with Sao Paolo, notching 15 goals in all competitions. Here’s a look at some of the 26-year-old’s standout moments from the campaign:

At Milan, the Brazilian was expected to blossom into one of the very best players in world football. Instead, he fell out of favour with the Rossoneri before being shipped to Corinthians. Now, it seems as though Pato is ready to take another crack at European football.

The Selecao Brasileira Twitter feed thinks Pato’s recent performances have been excellent, and he deserves another chance in the national team:

"

People should watch more instead judging players solely based on their reputation. Lucas Lima and Pato have been outstanding in 2015.

— Seleção Brasileira (@BrazilStats) November 1, 2015"

If United could potentially rekindle the spark which was evidently in Pato when at Milan, they could have a tremendous player on their hands. The forward's willingness to drop deep, float wide and get involved in general play could also aid in the creative issues the Red Devils are having in their forward forays.

There’s still a big question mark over Pato, though. While he has been performing admirably as of late, doing so in a physical league away from home comforts is another matter entirely. It’s hugely encouraging to see an upturn in form and an ambition to succeed in European football again, but Pato still has plenty to prove.