Man United might have expected 10 goals from Mason Greenwood this season had he been reintegrated… but his exit means Antony, Sancho, Hojlund and others MUST quickly find their shooting boots with no money left to sign another forward

A manager as meticulous as Erik ten Hag would almost certainly have formulated a reintegration plan for Mason Greenwood at Manchester United.

The Dutch coach is said to have been in favor of Greenwood’s return to the first team and contacted the striker as the club carried out their internal investigation.

While it would have taken some time for Greenwood to rediscover the sharpness with which he scored 35 goals in 129 appearances for United before his January 2022 suspension, Ten Hag no doubt viewed him as another option in attack that could score 5-10 goals. this season.

But that won’t happen now after United and Greenwood have jointly decided it would be best for him to continue his career elsewhere.

Looking purely at the player side as United enter the new season, this outcome leaves Ten Hag with an attacking gap to fill.

Any Greenwood targets that are in the budget will now have to be supplied by others, putting additional pressure on an attacker already showing signs of strain.

The internal investigation has dragged on for so long that United have little time to go back to the market for a new attacker, even if they had the money or the will to do so.

They are going head to head with Financial Fair Play (FFP) after accepting a £257,000 fine earlier this summer for failing UEFA’s break-even test, and will have to watch their spending .

In any case, the way their midfields have been exposed by Wolves and Tottenham in the first two games of the season means this area should be the priority.

They also fired en masse at £72 million striker Rasmus Hojlund, who has played less than a minute as his back problem has been rectified.

Although Greenwood mainly operates from the right, he has (or at least had) the finishing skills worthy of a striker.

The 21-year-old could easily have played a few games there, allowing Hojlund to be the odd one out and reduce the risk of his back problems getting worse.

Anthony Martial, their other genuine striker, is nowhere near reliable enough when it comes to injuries – he was sacked five times last season and missed 27 games – and United are asking for offers for the Frenchman anyway.

So Hojlund could now be playing much more often than he might have expected, adding to the immense pressure to score that comes with his hefty price tag.

Marcus Rashford will feel that expectation anyway. Last season he scored thirty times in all competitions and that is just as good. United’s return of 58 league goals (17 from Rashford) was overshadowed by all their rivals.

It seems United will be confident that the England star will score a similar number this season, and that is far from guaranteed.

The reality is that others urgently need to go a step further. Jadon Sancho is now on a make-or-break season if he wants to succeed at Old Trafford.

The £73 million winger scored seven goals and three assists last season either side of a spell out of the squad to focus on his mental health. He is expected to improve both points.

The fact that 19-year-old Alejandro Garnacho started both Premier League games so far ahead of Sancho means he has to take every chance he gets.

The Argentine teenager scored six times in his breakthrough season in 2022/23 and impressed with his willingness to go straight for defenders. But it remains an unpolished diamond.

More is also needed from Antony now that he’s had a season to get used to English football.

The Brazilian, who will now face no competition from Greenwood due to his right wing position, scored eight goals and three assists in his first season for United.

But an £86 million transfer fee carries with it the expectation that he will return better numbers and he has repeatedly won the backing of Ten Hag, who broke the bank to sign him from Ajax.

Highly regarded Uruguayan Facundo Pellistri has had a cameo appearance in both games so far, but has been linked with a move to Sheffield United.

This will leave Amad as Antony’s main competitor on the right wing when he returns to full fitness.

The 21-year-old was on loan to Sunderland last season and certainly deserves the chance to prove what he can do.

But it is now clear that Greenwood will not return to the base. Everyone on the front line and in midfield (Bruno Fernandes’ contribution of 14 goals and 15 assists last season was crucial) needs to sharpen up in front of goal.

Scoring was a big problem last season, but United still managed to finish third, win one domestic cup and reach the final of another. It’s unlikely they can repeat that without a big boost to the goal tally.

The first signs are not too promising. They were outplayed by Wolves and were lucky to win 1-0, thanks to a goal from defender Raphael Varane. Last Saturday, 22 shots against Spurs failed to produce a goal.

United couldn’t be more toothless this season and Mason Greenwood isn’t coming back to help them.