With the start of pre-season now underway at Manchester United, the clock is ticking for the Red Devils to get their summer business sorted before the new campaign kicks off next month, with manager Erik ten Hag likely wanting time to bed in any potential acquisitions.
As The Athletic's Laurie Whitwell stated, the "priority" for the Dutchman at present remains the search for a quality number nine, with the Old Trafford outfit left with just Anthony Martial as their sole, out-and-out centre-forward option.
While there has been much talk regarding the club's apparent interest in Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane, it appears unlikely that Daniel Levy will sell the 29-year-old to a domestic rival, hence ensuring the need to consider alternative options.
According to reports in Portugal, the Carabao Cup winners are said to be interested in sealing a cut-price deal for Porto marksman, Mehdi Taremi, with the 30-year-old set to be up for grabs for around €20m (£17m) due to his expiring contract.
While the 66-cap Iranian international – who is set to turn 31 this month – would hardly represent a long-term option for Ten Hag, his apparent likeness to one of the 53-year-old's former assets may ensure he proves to be an inspired addition…
Who is Mehdi Taremi similar to?
According to Football Transfers, one man who the experienced ace does share a number of statistical and stylistic similarities with is current Borussia Dortmund star, Sebastian Haller, with the Ivory Coast international having previously featured under Ten Hag for both Utrecht and at Ajax.
Those two spells working under the current United boss saw Haller bag a stellar haul of 87 goals and 31 assists in just 147 games in all competitions, with that a remarkably similar record to Taremi's record at Porto, where has 80 goals and 49 assists to his name in 147 outings.
It was Haller's 18-month stint at the Johan Cruyff Arena that proved particularly fruitful, with the 6 foot 3 ace netting 47 goals and registering 16 assists in just 66 games, having propelled the Dutch giants to the Eredivisie title during the 2021/22 season – prior to Ten Hag's move to the Theatre of Dreams.
With the one-time West Ham United flop evidently a figure who the Dutchman is able to get the best out of, the hope would be that the signing of Taremi could also prove just as fruitful, such is the likeness between the pair.
Like Haller, the Porto is also a real focal point when leading the line due to his 6 foot 1 frame, while he also offers the ability to link play and provide quality service to his teammates as he ranks in the top 12% among those in his position in the Men's next eight competitions for shot-creating actions – at an average of 3.17 per 90 – with that a similar record to the Dortmund ace, who averages 2.89 per 90 for that same metric, across the last 365 days.
A further positive of Taremi is how he compares favourably to the aforementioned Kane having scored 31 goals and provided 14 assists in 55 games in all competitions last term, with the Englishman scoring 32 goals in the 2022/23 campaign – albeit while laying on only five assists.
That standout campaign was no mere freak for the former Rio Ave man as he also scored 26 goals and registered 17 assists the year prior, with that goalscoring prowess again similar to that of Kane, who bagged 26 goals and contributed ten assists across all fronts in the 2021/22 season.
As such, while Taremi may be something of a wildcard, left-field option, he not only appears to be as clinical as the Tottenham man on the evidence of his recent form, but he could also allow Ten Hag to find his next Haller if a bargain deal is to be struck.