Solskjaer identifies Premier League striker as potential first signing as Man United manager

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Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wants to bring in Bournemouth centre-forward Josh King during the January transfer window.

According to The Sun, the Norwegian head coach is keen on luring his fellow countryman back to Old Trafford in the new year, having worked alongside him while he was a youth player at the club between 2008 and 2010.

Solskjaer managed the reserves squad while King began his ascent into senior level football, but he never quite made the grade at United, featuring in just one first-team game in three years before being sold to Blackburn Rovers in 2013.

The 26-year-old then secured a move to Bournemouth in 2015 and since then he has managed to show exactly why the Red Devils had touted him as one for the future at the beginning of his career, scoring 37 goals in 123 appearances for the club.

As per The Sun, Solskjaer revealed in his first interview as United’s new manager that he would have a say in the club’s transfer dealings when the window reopens and he has already identified King as his potential first signing in charge.

Josh King

King has proven himself as a capable striker in the top-flight, helping Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth over-achieve as they once again push for a top-half finish this season.

Howe will surely be reluctant to lose one of his most important players in January, but The Sun reports that King’s current market value is around £25 million, which is a small drop in the ocean for a club the size of Man United.

Should King indeed return to the club where his career began he would surely relish the chance to prove he has what it takes to succeed at the Theatre of Dreams and his link with Solskjaer could help him settle back into the fold seamlessly.

King is approaching the prime years of his career and his pace, agility and finishing ability might add an extra new dimension to United’s current attack, with Romelu Lukaku struggling for form in front of goal.

More Stories Eddie Howe Josh King Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Romelu Lukaku