Liverpool look set to swoop in and complete a deal for Porto's Luis Diaz, with the Liverpool Echo reporting that Jurgen Klopp's side have hijacked Tottenham's move for the Colombian winger.
Previous reports had linked Manchester United with a move for Diaz, though the MEN Sport understands the club have been left 'bemused' by such suggestions as they have never intended to make a move for the 25-year-old this month.
Despite reports of Ralf Rangnick's interest in Diaz being well wide of the mark, Liverpool's move to secure one of Klopp's major transfer targets still doesn't reflect particularly well on United.
News of Spurs' interest in Diaz clearly hadn't gone unnoticed at Anfield and Liverpool have acted quickly to ensure one of the players they have been monitoring isn't snatched from under their nose. Given Klopp's wealth of options in attack, Dias is unlikely to be guaranteed regular first-team minutes, but his potential to help the team in the future has seen them act swiftly and decisively.
You may be wondering how any of this relates to United but the issue is clear.
United have needed a defensive midfielder since the summer and a lot of fans hoped the club would address the problem in the mid-season window. Amadou Haidara, Denis Zakaria and Boubacar Kamara are just a few of the names to have been linked with an Old Trafford switch this month.
With just a few days of the January transfer window remaining, United's wait for central midfield reinforcements looks set to go on.
This, unfortunately, highlights the massive disparity between United and Liverpool's transfer dealings.
Rangnick has done his best to steady the ship since arriving at United but it's evident new signings are needed to help the club progress. Nearly two years on from Bruno Fernandes' arrival at Old Trafford, the anniversary of his signing will serve as a timely reminder of how important January business can be.
With both Kamara and Zakaria out of contract in the summer, United would likely be able to thrash out a cut-price deal for either midfielder in a bid to help Rangnick achieve his season goals.
When United drafted Rangnick in to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the expectation was that he would be interim boss until the end of the season and would then move into a consultancy role working alongside John Murtough and Darren Fletcher.
And so, it's not even as though the club are hesitant to back a manager who will be gone at the end of the season. Rangnick will still be advising United beyond the summer, so why not trust him to make the right moves this month?
While United sit and wait to try and secure a marquee signing, other clubs are out there bolstering their squad in January.
The signing of Fernandes in the 2020 January window now seems a distant memory and it's a shock to see the club aren't keen to replicate such a move.
United still have plenty to play for this season, we just need to hope they don't fall even further behind in the race for the top four as other clubs look to strengthen.
Do you think Manchester United will make any signings in January? Follow our United On My Mind writer Casey Evans on Twitter and get involved in the discussion in the comment section below.
