Manchester United supporters have been going through a mixture of emotions since Ralf Rangnick became the club's interim manager in November.
Under the German's regime, there have been times where it's looked like United have turned a corner and made progress in their pursuit for a decent end to the season. However, when trying to turn that corner, they find it impossible.
This season, United haven't won more than two games in a row, and the imbalance in the team is clear for everyone to see. It's why supporters have been banging on about buying a central defensive midfielder, and there was hope someone would join in the January transfer window. However, that didn't happen.
The MEN reported in January that United were instead focused on drawing up a shortlist of targets for the summer transfer window. As many as four recruits could come in under the next permanent manager.
It remains a mystery as to who those targets could be, but one name which keeps cropping up is West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice.
There's no doubt that the 23-year-old is one of the most in-demand players in Europe because he's been sensational for West Ham. His goal against Kidderminster Harriers showed his talent with the ball at his feet.
He also possesses leadership qualities at such a young age, and everyone can see what he will become if he continues to focus on his football. United are said to have a long-standing interest in the England international.
He won't come cheap either - his current club is reportedly after £100m if he leaves East London. However, there are cheaper alternatives, and if United are serious about getting the 'best in class,' they should look at their transfer priorities again.
United has tried to let the world know that they've changed their transfer strategy, but they haven't.
How? Because they still only sign 'obvious' targets. Rice's name has been floating about across the United fanbase for a while, and it still feels like the club sign players to appease supporters. But if they play their cards right and transform, Monaco has a defensive midfielder who could do a better job.
His name is Aurelien Tchouameni, and if his performance against Lyon is anything to go by, he fits United better than Rice does.
Reportedly valued at £83m, the 22-year-old has risen through the ranks and emerged into one of the brightest defensive midfielders in Europe. He's now a well-established international with France due to his impressive displays for his club.
In Monaco's 2-0 victory over Lyon at the weekend, Tchouameni was sensational. As per @UtdArena, he had an 84% pass accuracy, won 10 ground duels, four aerial duels, four fouls and made ten possession recoveries, three interceptions and three clearances.
It wasn't just this match that caused the hype around Tchouameni. If you look at his stats compared to Rice, you could argue he's the better player. As per FBRef.com, he's averaged more tackles and interceptions per 90 (7.33 compared to 5.32), a higher dribble success rate (82.4% to 61.1%) and aerial duel percentage (70.7% to 64.7%), plus a more significant amount of progressive passes per 90 (5.94 to 3.77).
If United are serious and have changed the way they approach transfers, they'd be all over Tchouameni in a heartbeat. For what they need, he's a better pick than Rice, as the Kingston-born midfielder is more of a box-to-box, not a number six.
Let's see what happens, but indeed, Tchouameni has shown that United need to change their transfer strategy.
Should United go for Tchouameni? Follow our United On My Mind writer Omar Garrick on Twitter to get involved in the discussion and give us your thoughts on the matter in the comments section below.
