Manchester United's recruitment team were relaxed about the prospect of ending the transfer window without signing a striker and with time running out on deadline day that is beginning to look more likely.

United have seen two senior forwards depart during this window, with Antony joining Real Betis on loan and Marcus Rashford agreeing a short-term switch to Aston Villa. That leaves Alejandro Garnacho, Amad, Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund as the only attacking players in Ruben Amorim's squad.

Amad and Garnacho started against Crystal Palace on Sunday, but neither Hojlund nor Zirkzee began the match and the form of both is falling off a cliff. Zirkzee hasn't found the back of the net since December 19 and Hojlund's drought goes back to December 12.

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United were open to a late loan move for Bayern Munich forward Mathys Tel or Christopher Nkunku at Chelsea. Nkunku is now set to stay at Stamford Bridge for the remainder of the season and United's attempts to take him on loan have been rebuffed.

Tel had attracted interest from across the Premier League and had already rejected a permanent transfer to Tottenham. The 19-year-old was keen on a loan move and according to sources in Germany, that deal is being revived and the teenager looks set to move to Spurs on a straight loan deal.

United insist they won't make any short-term panic moves on deadline day as they prioritise constructing a squad for the long-term under Amorim, but it will be a risk to end this window weaker than when it began.

Amorim's decision to start Kobbie Mainoo as the No. 9 against Palace suggests he has lost faith in Hojlund and Zirkzee, who have struggled to convince as the striker in his system.

Sunday's defeat to Palace left United 13th in the Premier League and again exposed their issues in front of goal. Failing to sign another forward in a window when two have departed, even if they were only peripheral figures under Amorim, won't provide an answer to the team's goalscoring issues.