Bengaluru, Nov 24: It is no secret that Manchester United are desperate to make a series of first-team signings in the next few transfer windows and one of the positions that they are looking to strengthen is the centre-forward.

With Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford both struggling to fire on a consistent basis as centre forwards, it is hardly a surprise that coach Ole Gunnar Solskjær is desperately looking to strengthen upfront.

While it was strongly reported that the Red Devils' two targets for the centre-forward position are Mario Mandzukic and Erling Haaland, a new name has surfaced now and it is Everton star Richarlison. The 22-year-old has emerged as the latest transfer target of the Red Devils even though the club is still looking for both Haaland and Mandzukic.

Both Martial and Rashford are more comfortable with the flanks and they both look out of place when they lead the attack. With their pace and ability on the ball, they do score a decent number of goals but are both unable to offer a regular threat upfront. It would be a wide move from Solskjær to deploy the duo on the flanks and therefore, a striker looks his top priority.

Both Mandzukic and Haaland would be excellent signings by the Red Devils for different reasons. While Mandzukic can be a more than a decent short-term option, Norwegian wonderkid Haaland can be their striker for a foreseeable future. So, Manchester United getting linked with Richarlison does not make too much sense if he is viewed as a candidate for the number nine role.

Despite the fact Richarlison is a versatile attacker who can play either as a number nine or on either flank, he looks at his best when he features on the flanks. It would be a waste of his talent if he is used more often as a number nine. But, one thing Manchester United must be careful about before signing Richarlison is that the Brazilian is a very inconsistent player.

Everton have been struggling this season and Richarlison has not been able to inspire them too much. That's not a quality of a top player by any means. On top of that, the 22-year-old is unlikely to be a cheap signing and could cost more than £60million. And for that much money, Richarlison could be a huge gamble and the Red Devils are in no place to make gambles right now.