With less than a week to go until the January transfer window closes, Manchester United need a striker.

After being recalled to the starting line-up for Sunday night's 1-0 win over Fulham, Rasmus Hojlund fired an 11th successive blank, last scoring when he netted a brace against Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League on December 12.

Despite being signed for an initial fee of £64million, Hojlund has done very little to justify that price tag. However, it must be documented that it is not his fault United paid over the odds.

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Nevertheless, Hojlund has scored just seven goals this season, only two which have been plundered in the Premier League. He has been completely ineffective in recent matches, failing to offer United any sort of presence up front.

But with United focusing on trying to sign Lecce wing-back Patrick Dorgu ahead of next Monday night's 11pm deadline, they are looking increasingly unlikely to add to their attacking pool. They are certainly unlikely to make a statement addition in that department, anyway.

It means head coach Ruben Amorim's aspirations of adding a new No.9 to his squad will have to wait until the summer. Regardless of how the rest of this season unfolds, a squad overhaul is needed ahead of next term.

Sporting Lisbon ace Viktor Gyokeres has been heavily linked with the prospect of being reunited with Amorim at Old Trafford. The Swede has established himself as one of the best centre-forwards in Europe over the last 18 months or so, and has scored 34 goals in just 33 appearances so far this season.

Gyokeres' prolific nature makes him an attractive option for a plethora of clubs. A lot of United supporters have already earmarked him as their dream signing.

However, the former Coventry City man will command a hefty-sized price tag and it currently remains to be seen what sized war chest Amorim will be supplied with for his first summer in charge. The club currently finds itself in a position where the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules [PSR] are at the forefront of their thinking.

United have been guilty of wasting millions of pounds on failed signings over the years, with Amorim admitting after the win over Fulham: "We have made mistakes in the past and we cannot do it now."

With that in mind, United should give serious consideration to throwing their name into the ring in the battle to sign Lille ace Jonathan David. The Canadian striker is out-of-contract at the end of this season and is yet to sign a new deal, meaning he could soon be available on a free transfer.

David has been one of the most consistent strikers in Europe since joining Lille from Belgian outfit Gent in August 2020, scoring 102 goals in 214 games. He is currently the joint-second highest goalscorer in Ligue 1 this term, scoring 11 goals, and has found the back of the net 18 times across all competitions, including five goals in the Champions League proper.

Registering 47 direct goal involvements (goals and assists) in 2024 alone, only Mohamed Salah (52), Harry Kane (50) and Kylian Mbappe (49) claimed more from Europe's top five leagues across all competitions. David is among the elite.

Since joining Lille ahead of the start of the 2020/21 season, he has scored 13, 15, 24 and 19 goals across four full seasons in Ligue 1 respectively, with his tally of 24 in 2022/23 particularly impressive.

He has scored 26 goals in each of the last two seasons across all competitions and his tally of 18 goals in 31 games so far this term puts him on course to smash that record.

Continuing to score goals at such a consistent rate means clubs have already been alerted to his contract situation. The prospect of signing him for free this summer will be very appealing for many.

Newcastle United have already registered an interest in him and club officials have watched him recently. The Magpies are currently fifth in the Premier League table, only outside the top four on goal difference, making Champions League qualification for next season a realistic ambition.

On the flip side, United are currently 12th in the table, 12 points shy of the top four. It is highly likely their only route into next season's Champions League will be via winning this season's Europa League.

David is understood to want to play in Europe's premier club competition - and rightfully so. Signing him would represent good business from United, but Champions League qualification is pivotal.