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With Robin van Persie slowly succumbing to age and Radamel Falcao looking like anything but a £55million striker this season, Manchester United’s strike-force is expected to undergo a bit of a reshuffle this summer.

Indeed, RVP has been linked with a move to Premier League retirement home Serie A, where running is widely discouraged, and the Red Devils are unlikely to make Falcao’s loan move permanent, having netted just four times for his adoptive club across all competitions.

Unfortunately, however, United’s priority pick to fill the void, Edinson Cavani, appears to be on the verge of agreeing a summer move to Juventus – as The Daily Mail revealed last week – and currently, world-class centre-forwards of the Uruguay international’s mould aren’t in copious supply.

But fear not Red Devils fans, for Football Fancast is here to help. Using our god-given powers of transfer know-how, we’ve come up with FIVE potential alternatives to the Juve-bound PSG star.

Can one of these strikers prove equally effective at Old Trafford?

CHRISTIAN BENTEKE

Just when Christian Benteke appeared on the verge of plunging into the realms of mediocrity, he’s re-emerged as one of the most formidable target men the Premier League has to offer.

Indeed, the Belgium international has been on fire since Tim Sherwood took Aston Villa’s managerial reins from Paul Lambert in February, bagging eleven goals in his last ten appearances in all competitions to bring his Villains total to 48 goals in 97 appearances.

Powerful, tall, aggressive and blessed with an imperious leap, the 23-year-old would be perfect for the direct style of football Louis van Gaal has tried to implement at Old Trafford.

Sherwood has admitted Benteke could force a move away from Villa Park this summer, leading the tabloids to value him at around £30million.

But if there’s one criticism of Benteke, it’s that he’s not a natural suitor to the stylish, technically demanding football United fans crave. Him and Marouane Fellaini in the same team might be deemed a tad too attritional.

Carlos Bacca

Perhaps not a first-class centre-forward but certainly a first-rate second-class centre-forward, Sevilla star Carlos Bacca will be available for just £21.3million this summer through a release clause.

And although the Colombian international isn’t considered to be in the same company as Luis Suarez or Robert Lewandowski, he’s been in absolutely lethal form for the Spanish outfit over the last two campaigns, netting 46 goals in 104 appearances.

That fired Sevilla to last term’s Europa League title, whilst this season they’re just three points shy of qualifying for the Champions League in La Liga.

Speedy, direct, stocky in frame and unorthodox in style, the 28 year-old seems like a good fit for the Premier League. He could certainly keep the Red Devils ticking over for a season or two, but probably isn’t a long-term option.

Harry Kane

We’ve only seen a single season’s worth of superlative football from Harry Kane but what a season it has been.

The 21 year-old has emerged from the peripheries of Tottenham’s squad to become the Premier League’s top-scoring Englishman – his 20-goal haul only surpassed throughout the division by Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero.

But more than simply his goals, it’s Kane’s infectious enthusiasm and all-round contribution that truly stands out. He’s got a bit of everything about him; power and pace, hold-up play, cute little link-ups with Christian Eriksen, imperious ability in the air and perhaps most impressively of all, an absolutely phenomenal work-rate.

If Louis van Gaal wants to sign a United striker for the next decade, then Kane seems as wise a gamble as any. But the chances of Spurs cashing in this summer, for anything less than an astronomical fee, are rather unlikely.

Gonzalo Higuain

Louis van Gaal likes his ‘multi-purpose’ footballers and Gonzalo Higuain certainly falls into that category.

The 27 year-old’s predominant strength remains goalscoring, boasting a career return of 212 goals in 447 appearances throughout his prolific spells with River Plate, Real Madrid, Napoli and the Argentina national team.

But he’s also a smart link-up player who has often featured out wide for his respective clubs, perhaps epitomised best by his impressive haul of eleven assists for Albiceleste and 15 during his last two Serie A campaigns.

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The former Los Blancos forward looks set to leave the Naples outfit this summer following their failure to qualify for the Champions League and The Metro believe he could be available for around £29million.

That’s a fair price for such a proven and versatile centre-forward, but Arsenal and Liverpool are considered his likeliest suitors.

KARIM BENZEMA

Should rumours of Real Madrid’s intentions to sell Karim Benzema prove true, as claimed by The Express, Manchester United should be biting their hand off.

The France international is one of the best front-men Europe has to offer and he’s almost purpose built for Premier League football, blessed with fantastic height, power, strength and aggression – which is why Sir Alex Ferguson tried to bring him to Old Trafford back in summer 2009.

Furthermore and perhaps most importantly, after spending the last six years in Cristiano Ronaldo’s shadow, the 27 year-old still has a point to prove if he’s to be remembered as one of his generation’s greatest strikers.

His rumoured £40million price-tag, for a player in his peak years with four terms remaining on his current contract, represents fantastic value for money.

He’d be my first choice of Cavani alternative – but admittedly, any transfer rumour involving Real Madrid always comes with an element of serious doubt.

Arsenal’s pre-season has been almost ideal, with the Gunners seemingly having no cobwebs to shake off and swiping aside all comers ahead of the new campaign.

With the Asia Trophy and Emirates Cup accolades in the bag ahead of last weekend’s Community Shield, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s first-half strike ensured momentum is firmly with the Gunners ahead of the resumption of competitive action.

Although bragging rights against a London neighbour and the winning of a piece of silverware are both key benefits to the 1-0 victory, the removal of a supposed hex between the clubs could well be the most important thing.

Ahead of the meeting at Wembley, Jose Mourinho possessed an imposing personal track record against equivalent Arsene Wenger, with the French manager never having beating the Portuguese during their mutual time as Premier League chiefs.

With the ill-feeling between the pair and Mourinho’s constant desire to stoke the flames with inflammatory comments in the press, Wenger will surely have longed for the victory that little bit more and the win would have tasted just that little bit sweeter.

In the aftermath of the game, the press have once more touted the Gunners as worthy title challengers, with the North London outfit hitting their stride at the right time and seemingly set to be a force to be reckoned with in 2015-16.

Regardless of this, most of the Emirates Stadium faithful will take the praise and heightened expectations with a pinch of salt – they, and Arsenal, have been here before.

Since the memorable Invincibles team of 2003-04, Wenger and the Gunners have been close to retaining the Premier League title but for one reason or another have ben pipped at the post by a competitor.

Even last season, when the North Londoners were unplayable in prolonged periods of the campaign, a lack of consistency and the inability to grind out results when it really mattered cost them the crown.

There is no doubting that Arsenal’s track record against English football’s biggest teams has improved over the last 12 months, with memories of the heavy defeats against Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool from the season prior starting to fade.

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Beating the Blues and their outspoken leader Mourinho is certainly the next step in Arsenal’s evolution from nearly-men to champions but there is still a lot to prove for the Gunners.

Talk of Arsenal’s title credentials being increased is natural, the return of Alexis Sanchez will make the team stronger and on their day they arguably play the best football in the English game.

However, despite Mourinho no longer having a hex over him after the weekend’s result, Arsene Wenger will know that Chelsea are still the team to beat if Arsenal are to become 2015-16 champions.

Arsenal vs Liverpool rarely disappoints in terms of entertainment. Their 51 Premier League meetings to date have produced an impressive 141 goals, and we’ve seen just five scoreless draws during that time. With Arsene Wenger and Jurgen Klopp at the respective helms too, their meeting at the Emirates Stadium on Friday night looks set to continue that tradition as both managers prioritise offensive flair over defensive organisation.

But if there’s one lingering concern, it’s how the match may not be decided by a moment of quality befitting of such an iconic fixture – rather, refereeing decisions. In some instances, that’s largely inevitable; the margins are so fine in the Premier League and the officials are often forced into making calls that inevitably have a significant impact on the scoreline. The real frustration comes though, when a referee is simply being too proactive in laying down the letter of the law.

Aged 46, Martin Atkinson is amongst the most experienced referees in the Premier League, now amid his 13th season in the top flight, and clearly knows when the whistle is needed and when he should allow the game to flow. Tellingly, he ranks lowly for both yellow cards and penalties per match so far this season – hinting he won’t make one huge decision that decides Friday’s contest.

But there’s one refereeing return from this term that particularly stands out – he’s issued the seventh-most fouls per match of the 18 referees to work in the English top flight throughout 2017/18. The statistics suggest that benefits Liverpool far more than it does Arsenal; despite their reputation of being a bit of a soft touch, the north Londoners have actually committed the joint-fifth most fouls of any Premier League side this season, whereas Klopp’s boys rank a lowly 15th and even average 0.4 fouls per match less away from home.

Accordingly, while Arsenal may find themselves suffering Atkinson’s whistle-happy wrath, Liverpool’s cleaner game could give them a distinct advantage. And the danger to Arsenal only becomes more obvious when considering the potency Liverpool boast from dead ball situations through Philippe Coutinho, unquestionably one of the best free kick takers in the business at the moment. If Arsenal give away too many fouls in dangerous areas, the Brazilian will eventually punish them.

On top of that, in another bad omen for Arsenal fans, 50% of the matches Atkinson has officiated this season have ended in away wins.

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Manchester City come into every game now with a spring in their step.

Unbeaten in the league, there’s still a chance of an Invincible season, and as we’ve seen since the end of August, even a managing a draw against the league leaders gets people excited these days.

That said, there’s a reason only Arsenal have gone an entire season unbeaten in the Premier League, and even then only once: it’s tough. Indeed, these days, with five other rivals who are head and shoulders above the rest of the league, it’s probably harder than ever. Indeed, given this side are fighting on four fronts, a defeat will surely be on the cards at some point. And when the next game is big six rival away from home, that probability rise even further.

The last time these two clubs met, Manchester City wiped the floor with a Liverpool side who simply gave up in the second half. But there’s a caveat. As good as City were on the day, Liverpool will point to a controversial red card given to Sadio Mane in the first half as a mitigating factor.

Pep Guardiola’s side were already a goal up when the Reds’ attacker was sent off and so it’s still likely the home side would have triumphed, but it’s certainly the case that City’s defence were panicked on occasion by Liverpool’s threatening attack, but that all changed after Mane’s dismissal.

Big performance

That means City can’t rest on any laurels in this game. They’ll remember well that Liverpool posed numerous problems for their defence at the Etihad that day, and Guardiola will also remember his visit to Anfield last season, when Klopp’s side triumphed on New Year’s Day. A Georginio Wijnaldum header was the difference between the two sides that day, but City are a different proposition to the side they were in 2016.

Despite that, the big performance which will see City win this game may not come from the attack, but rather the defence.

If City are going to struggle anywhere for the rest of the season, it’ll be at the back, and if Liverpool are dangerous anywhere, it’s surely up front. With that in mind, Guardiola might need a big performance from John Stones in Liverpool on Sunday afternoon. The Englishman is back again from injury and has played alongside both Eliaquim Mangala and Nicolas Otamendi in the last two games.

The Argentine has thrived this season, becoming one of the best centre-backs in the league, but he and Stones will need to spark up the partnership that was blossoming before the former Everton defender’s injury, and they’ll have to do it quickly to deal with the threat of Mohamed Salah and co. His return to his best from injury will be key.

Likely formation

The back-three formation which Pep Guardiola used at the start of the season has been well and truly ditched in favour of a 4-3-3 which will surely be the system of choice against a Liverpool side who also favour the same setup this weekend.

That change of system from City has allowed Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane to thrive as wingers this season, rather than being stuck as either supporting strikers or wing-backs.

However, there was a logic to starting the early games against Everton and Brighton with a back-three: Guardiola spent last season wondering how his side could make themselves less vulnerable on the counter-attack. With a back-three, the side has an extra body to deal with breakaways, and against a team with the attacking pace of Liverpool that might be a bonus.

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Expect a back four as usual, but perhaps if Guardiola had more centre-back options, given the injuries they’ve suffered, and indeed better quality than Eliaquim Mangala, a back three may well have entered into the manager’s thoughts.

Most likely threat

Three goals against Watford, four against Burnley and then two in a difficult night against Bristol City in the first leg of an EFL Cup semi-final mean that City are still motoring along as an attacking threat.

They are the most elegant team in the league when on their day, but prior to the festive period, the Blues were finding goals harder to come by than usual, but four goals in three games from Sergio Aguero shows that if they create the chances for him, the Argentinian striker will take them as normal.

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Arsenal’s pursuit of a top four position in the English Premier League took another blow on Sunday after bottom half Bournemouth defeated them 2-1.

With rivals Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea all picking up points this weekend, it was vital for the Gunners to win away to Eddie Howe’s side but had to return home empty handed.

Arsenal took the lead in the match thanks to Hector Bellerin, but Jordan Ibe and Callum Wilson turned things around in a four minute spell that shocked Arsene Wenger’s side.

Part of their problems in recent weeks has been the lack of goals from big summer signing Alexandre Lacazette, who hasn’t scored in his last nine appearances, the last coming at the start of December against Manchester United.

However, supporters aren’t blaming the Frenchman for the drought, instead taking aim at the players tasked with producing creativity and providing the striker with chances.

Fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts on the situation…

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Liverpool have sold Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona and loaned out Daniel Sturridge to West Bromwich Albion with no signs of any replacements, and Reds fans have urged the club to sign Lyon attacking midfielder Nabil Fekir, rated at £45m according to Transfermarkt, before the January transfer window slams shut on Wednesday night.

Jurgen Klopp hinted in his pre-match press conference on Monday that the Merseyside outfit were unlikely to be busy in terms of incomings in the last couple of days of the window, even though the club has suffered successive defeats against Swansea City in the Premier League and West Bromwich Albion in the fourth round of the FA Cup at home on Saturday.

That seems to be a decision that the Anfield faithful disagree with, and Fekir has certainly been in impressive form this season with 19 goals in 27 appearances in all competitions for the Ligue 1 side.

Liverpool supporters were quick to have their say on the 24-year-old via social media, and while one said “I’d be willing to throw every penny of the Coutinho money at Nabil Fekir to save the season”, another said “would love to see Liverpool sign Nabil Fekir”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

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Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea has demanded at least £375,000 a week to sign a new contract, according to The Sun.

What’s the word?

Speculation over De Gea’s future at Old Trafford is nothing new given that he is constantly linked with a move to Real Madrid.

The Spaniard was on the verge of moving to the Bernabeu in 2015, but since missing the transfer deadline, the 27-year-old has been committed to United.

The Sun reports that De Gea is willing to pen a new contract but wants almost double his current salary.

The publication claims that Alexis Sanchez’s arrival has persuaded the goalkeeper to push for what he believes he is worth.

According to The Mirror, the Chile international is earning £500,000 per week before tax.

Should United fall to his demands?

While the Red Devils would have been overjoyed by their ability to land Sanchez, the rumoured wages that he is earning sets a precedent.

Footballers within a club earn different salaries depending on their value to the team and global brand.

There is no doubt that De Gea is one of Jose Mourinho’s most important players as he has become a world-class keeper since moving to Old Trafford from Atletico Madrid in 2011.

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While the figures being reported a ludicrous, United do not have much of a leg to stand on if they refuse to up De Gea’s wages significantly.

The Red Devils can feel safe in the knowledge that the Spaniard’s contract does not expire until the end of next season, but they cannot afford to let him get his head turned.

It was a field day for journalists and fans alike on Thursday afternoon, when Mauricio Pellegrino gave his press conference ahead of Southampton’s F.A. Cup tie against West Brom.The 46-year-old made a number of comments that were as perplexing as they were concerning, especially for Saints fans.With the club currently occupying 18th place in the Premier League, the Saints boss was questioned about relegation concerns, to which he replied;

“Every single person that I know, from different countries, it’s about watching the relegation games”

Later, when asked about the importance of the F.A. Cup. Pellegrino responded with;

“We want to go forwards in the competition. The F.A. Cup is very important and it can help us to introduce some players who have not played much in recent games.”

Finally, when asked about the clubs approach heading into the final months of the season, the Argentinian remarked;

“Every single game will be crucial; we have to focus day by day, match by match and be calm in our approach.”

It’s safe to say that Pellegrino’s comments did not go down well with Saints fans, who took to Twitter to vent their frustrations…

As reported by The Daily Mail, Rangers manager Graeme Murty has backed both Ryan Jack and Greg Docherty to stake a claim for a place in Scotland’s midfield after the international retirement of Celtic star Scott Brown.

What’s the story?

Hoops captain Brown announced earlier this week he won’t be taking part in Scotland action as the country prepares to embark on a new managerial era under Alex McLeish.

With 55 caps to his name, Brown has been on the international scene for over a decade, seen as one of the more influential members of the squad in that time.

Now though, Rangers manager Murty has challenged his midfield stars to stake a claim and bring back a Scotland and Rangers tradition.

When asked whether Greg Docherty and Ryan Jack could aspire to make future squads, he was adamant they could.

As quoted by The Daily Mail, the Gers boss said:

Absolutely. I said that when we first signed him [Docherty]. Historically, Rangers central midfield players have played for Scotland. That’s the level he needs to be looking at. I have not seen anything in the young man’s attitude or ability to think anything different. It is something he should be aiming for and, knowing Greg, he will be hungry to get as far as he possibly can.

Now Scott has gone, there is a space in the middle of the pitch where Ryan [Jack] is more naturally inclined to play. That would fit him quite well but we have to make sure we get him back fit. Then he has to thrust himself in front of the manager’s eye-line to get his attention. A new manager has come in and there are spots up for grabs. It’s a blank canvas.

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What are their chances?

With U21 caps for Scotland, Docherty is undoubtedly showing potential to be a future international for his country and given his recent form for Rangers, you might even say he could be a stand-out for years to come.

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He’s been excellent all season for Hamilton but at Ibrox, surrounded by better players, is flourishing in a creative midfield role.

Ryan Jack, who better represents the style that Brown exhibited for the national team, might find it tougher to work his way into the Scotland midfield.  While fairly proficient for Rangers this season, he lacks the unique flair and creativity of a player like Docherty and the Ibrox side have arguably improved in his absence.

Newcastle looked like they couldn’t want Aleksandar Mitrovic any less during the January transfer window, as they first tried to offload the failing striker back to his former club Anderlecht and then settled for sending him out on loan to Championship club Fulham.

Times are a changing though, as Mitrovic, who scored only once for Newcastle in the league this season, has hit the ground running at Craven Cottage.

The imposing centre-forward grabbed his first goal for the west London club in a 2-0 win over Wolves on Saturday evening, and with Newcastle searching for a consistent scoring threat other than Dwight Gayle, Magpies boss Rafael Benitez might be wanting to recall the Serbian forward sooner than expected.

Mitrovic’s loan deal at Fulham doesn’t expire until the summer, and Benitez will be hoping that newly-fit January signing Islam Slimani will be able to contribute his fair share of goals in the meantime.

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So, Newcastle fans, should the Magpies be itching to get Mitrovic back as soon as his current contract at Fulham ends?