Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has confirmed that Javier Hernandez will be second-choice striker at Old Trafford this season.
The Mexican international poacher has been linked with a transfer to West Ham United or Tottenham Hotspur, but it is looking increasingly likely that he stays put.
The Red Devils only have Hernandez and youngster James Wilson as support for Wayne Rooney in the striking ranks despite the raft of speculation linking them with new forwards.
And Van Gaal seemed to indicate that he has given up his striker hunt when he identified Hernandez as Rooney’s deputy at a press conference on Thursday.
“Our aim is to play with Rooney in the striker’s position with Chicharito as the second choice,” he told reporters. “But he can also play [as the main striker] because Rooney can also play No10.
“So he has a chance to play in the striker’s position but normally Rooney shall play because we have confidence that he can score more than 20 goals there. That is more than any of the striker’s scored last season.”
United have been linked with Bayern Munich star Thomas Muller and Tottenham Hotspur hero Harry Kane, but Hernandez himself has a proven track record of scoring in the Premier League.
The 27-year-old, who scored nine times in 33 games on loan at Real Madrid last season, has 59 goals for United despite 69 of his 154 appearances for the club coming as a substitute.
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