Which top Premier League team needs Joshua King the most?

Could he be on the move this summer?

With several top sides reportedly circling, where will Joshua King be playing his football next season?

While Bournemouth rejected a £20 million bid from Manchester United in January, the pacey Norwegian has just one year left on his contract.

Bournemouth may choose to cash-in rather than allow King to run his contract down, but which of the interested top sides need King the most?

Manchester United

King was a youth player at United and credits Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with giving him a chance in the reserves. Although he only went on to make a 10-minute cameo for the first team in the League Cup, King clearly holds affection for the club, declaring a return would be a “dream come true” back in January.

With on-loan Odion Ighalo’s future uncertain, United could do a lot worse than the Norwegian, who can play up front or on the wing – where his pace is often used to devastating effect for the Cherries.

If Ighalo departs, that would leave only Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford, Daniel James and Mason Greenwood up front and the versatile King would be an excellent fit in the preferred formation, which uses one striker and two attacking wide players.

Chelsea

Although Olivier Giroud just signed a one-year contract extension, Chelsea remain light up top, especially with Michy Batshuayi said to be on his way out at Stamford Bridge.

With his ability to play on the left-wing, King could also provide cover for Christian Pulisic, who faced a lengthy spell on the sidelines after injury in January.

While Chelsea are reportedly interested in Jadon Sancho, competition is stiff for his signature and King may represent a more realistic target, as well as being far cheaper. 

Liverpool

While it’s unlikely that King would be able to displace any of the Liverpool front three, his versatility would again be a huge positive for Jurgen Klopp.

Put simply, Liverpool are short of real cover for Mo Salah and Sadio Mane. While Divock Origi has played on the left flank in place of Mane on a few occasions this season, he doesn’t quite possess the same devastating pace as the Senegalese, but King does.

If either Mane or Salah were to be injured, Liverpool would not only lose a world-class player from their line-up, but they’d be forced to play a slightly different style. With King waiting in the wings, they’d retain their explosive quality.

Tottenham Hotspur

Another team looking light up top, Tottenham have struggled without Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min for much of this season.

King could offer a focal point up front and while he’s clearly a different type of player to Kane, his ability to run at defenders with pace is not too dissimilar from Lucas Moura and King boasts a superior scoring record, with 46 goals in 154 appearances in the Premier League, compared to 14 in 65 for Moura.

If, as some pundits suggest Harry Kane leaves Tottenham, they may opt for an out-and-out striker boasting similar qualities to Kane. Otherwise, King would be a good fit for Tottenham’s style and Daniel Levy might see a cut-priced King as a shrewd piece of business. 

Which top side do you think needs King the most? 

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