a 'klass-hunter'

Klass-Jan Huntelaar

You give him the ball, he will give you the goal. Its not for any lame reason that he is called 'The Hunter'. Aged 26, he brings to the team the youth element and enough experience to strengthen the new proposal of the club. He cost us £13m. Not much considering the kind of money that Madrid splashed out to bring him from Ajax. Yes, he has always been a fantasy signing for me and for a few other fans. And now its true. But, is it what we need?

We were in the market for a target man. Huntelaar is far from a target man. He is your in-the-box striker, a poacher. Very few can match his ability to convert inside the penalty area. Yes, he is one of the finest finishers in Europe currently. He is a promising prospect and could go onto emulate the great Van Basten. He has scored 135 goals in 183 games. That isn't a statistic to be laughed at. But this was in the Eredivisie, where Dirk Kuyt, Mateja Kezman and Alfonso Alves have scored goals for fun. He came to Madrid and netted 8 times in 20 appearances, most of which were substitutions. His scoring rate is admirable, and we need someone who can challenge for the Capocannoniere. Yes he has it in him to do so. Great in the air, lethal in finish. But I ask the question once again, do we need him? I am afraid the answer is NO.

AC Milan already have a world-class poacher in Inzaghi. The veteran Italian will continue tormenting defenders with top-class poaching for the next few seasons without breaking sweat. We need a proven player who can hold up play, who can challenge physically, who can score and create. Fabiano is that player. The Dutchman, amongst his wide array of enviable attributes, isn't proven at the highest level. He needs someone to create, someone to give him the ball. In the team of Milan, there is no one capable of that. Our wingbacks are either over the hill or painfully average to deliver him those crosses. Ronaldinho is a liability and not an asset. Pato is still raw to provide the creative assistance. This renders Hunterlaar useless. Huntelaar is a top class finisher. But there has to be someone to supply, for him to finish!

For the money paid, he is a worthwhile transfer. Amidst the bewildering transfer figures floating around in the market, Hunter is an example of shrewd business. He would most likely click, if the team clicks. He is a more bankable forward than some run-of-the-mill South American talent. Huntelaar will assure you the end. But who is going to warrant him the means?