Andrew Beasley of the Manchester Evening News has named Manchester United’s five most lethal finishers since 2011.
He has used data from Opta to investigate clear-cut chances, or as he puts it, “a situation where a player should reasonably be expected to score, usually in a one-on-one scenario or from very close range” and excludes goals from the penalty spot.
Eleven players have bagged at least 150 goals for the club, with Wayne Rooney the all-time record scorer with 253 goals to his name, but he doesn’t top the list.
READ MORE: Odion Ighalo tips Man Utd transfer target to be the future of Nigerian football
5. Robin van Persie: 27 goals from 65 attempts (41% conversion rate)
The Dutchman arrived from Arsenal in a bid to win the Premier League. United achieved that (number 20!) in his first season when he finished the campaign as the league’s top scorer with 26 goals.
4. Romelu Lukaku: 19 goals from 42 attempts (45.2%)
José Mourinho signed the Belgian centre-forward from Everton in 2017. Started well but never looked like he was staying once Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was made permanent manager.
3. Javier Hernandes: 19 goals from 42 attempts (45.2%)
Unfortunately for Chicharito, his first season at Old Trafford — in which was his best for league goals — is excluded from the data. He never scored outside the box but was excellent when presented with an opportunity to score.
2. Wayne Rooney: 38 goals from 75 attempts (50.7%)
Rooney’s another whose United career began before 2011.
1. Anthony Martial: 23 goals from 44 attempts (52.3%)
What a waste of money, eh? Martial hit the ground running by scoring on his debut against Liverpool in 2015. Shouldn’t be dismissed in the summer as Solskjaer will look to nurture his talents.
