Goalscorer, wing back, Rashford replacement - what Manchester United need in January transfer window
The transfer window opens on New Year's Day and Manchester United are going to need to be active as they try and rescue a season threatening to spiral out of control.
United have lost five of their last six Premier League matches and are down in 14th in the table, with European qualification looking unlikely and a relegation battle not out of the question.
United's ability to do much business in January will be compromised by their dire financial position and concerns around meeting the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), but Ruben Amorim will be desperate for reinforcements to suit his system.
READ MORE: Manchester United have some obvious sales to make in January - and some not so obvious ones
There could also be leeway to do business if Marcus Rashford departs, with the academy graduate on the market having been axed from the first-team squad by Amorim. This is what our writers think United's priority for January should be:
Samuel Luckhurst:
Some of United's most high-profile buys have been in January: Juan Mata for a then-club record fee, Alexis Sanchez for club-record wages and Bruno Fernandes, the club's best signing since Robin van Persie.
United have signed several strikers in January windows and need another. Louis Saha, Henrik Larsson, Odion Ighalo and Wout Weghorst were all mid-season arrivals. Saha was the only permanent addition and the only one who was any good, so that highlights how tricky loaning a striker in is. The three loanees were essentially support strikers.
Realistically, United cannot do much on the wing. Nobody is going to take Tyrell Malacia off their hands after a 550-day absence and three half-time substitutions in four starts. They have to look to within for some solutions.
Rashford has done them a favour by going public with his desire to leave. If or when he goes, someone has to replace him. It seems too much to ask of United to arrange the end of Victor Osimhen's loan to Galatasaray so they can have him and compensate the Turkish club with Rashford.
Tyrone Marshall:
United clearly need more goals in this team, but it's hard to see how that can be achieved in a notoriously difficult window. A striker has to be the priority in the summer.
Instead, the focus in January should be on trying to find a wing-back that can at least offer some natural width and attacking adventure to the team. The combination of Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui is too defensive.
Amad is an option on the right, even if that takes him away from a No. 10 role, and with Luke Shaw still injured and Malacia yet to hit his stride on the comeback trail, the ideal solution in this window would be to sign an attacking, left-footed, left wing-back, allowing Amorim to start fitting players more naturally into his system.
Steven Railston:
The January transfer window is notoriously difficult to manoeuvre. In an ideal world, United would sign a new striker and a left wing-back but there is no warchest available to Amorim and quality reinforcements in those roles might not be available at this stage of the season.
Having said that, there should still be an opportunity or two in the market and perhaps triggering the buy-back clause in Alvaro Fernandez's contract with Benfica would be a sensible move. Fernandez would fit into the back-five system and will be available for a bargain fee due to United inserting a buy-back clause when he was sold on a permanent deal in the summer.
United must sign a left-wing back because Dalot has not looked comfortable playing on that side in Amorim's system, which heavily relies on the wing-backs providing quality at both ends.
George Smith:
Scoring just 21 Premier League goals so far this season, it is clear United need to beef up their attacking options. However, finding a striker in January is a challenge in itself.
With that said, depending on what funds are available, United should invest the bulk of their energy in attempting to strengthen at left-wing back. Wing-backs are central to Amorim's system and United do not have a natural fit on the left side.
Shaw is consistently injured, Malacia is not good enough and both Dalot and Mazraoui are right-footed, meaning it should be United's mission to find a natural left-footed option to slot straight in.
Amad looks an assured bet to continue as Amorim's right-sided wing-back, offering attacking thrust and creativity, meaning a more reserved option would make sense for the left to give United a sense of balance.
