Manchester United and Spurs both fail to sign a striker

Despite both clubs searching frantically throughout the window, neither Manchester United nor Spurs have managed to find a striker to join the first-team.

Well, it’s deadline day, and 2 of England’s biggest clubs are on the verge of coming up empty-handed in their search for a center-forward.

Both Manchester United and Spurs are suffering from injuries to crucial forwards – Marcus Rashford and Harry Kane respectively – and neither really has a true, focal-point striker in the squad needed to replace the goals they’ve lost to the medical room.

Throughout this January transfer window, both clubs were linked with a host of strikers, but none of the moves were able to really materialize. This is a big shock since both sides seemed to be in need of a striker, and both sides are gunning for top 4 and European success this season (albeit at different levels).

Just over the past week, Spurs were heavily linked with Real Sociedad’s Willian Jose, Milan’s Krzysztof Piatek, and Chelsea’s former Arsenal striker, Olivier Giroud. While each and every other of those moves would have been a strong investment for the short-term, none of them quite came together, and now Jose Mourinho will likely have to rely on players like Lucas Moura or highly-rated 17-year-old prospect Troy Parrott to fill the hole up top left by Kane.

Manchester United, on the other hand, were linked with players of a lower calibre than Spurs were. Bournemouth’s Josh King is a big name that has been linked with a move to Old Trafford in recent days, although a move has seemingly fallen through today.

David Ornstein reports that there still could be a last-minute loan signing for Manchester United, however, most likely in the form of former Watford striker Odion Ighalo.

While it would be useful to get another body into the forward line, Ighalo is not somebody who can make a significant impact at a club like Manchester United, or a long-term impact either.