With less than a month of the transfer window remaining, Manchester United are still yet to add a striker to their ranks.
Christian Eriksen started as the most advanced player in the opening-weekend defeat against Brighton. However, aside from the Danish international, new manager Erik ten Hag has only been able to bring in defenders Tyrell Malacia and Lisandro Martinez.
United were looking light up front even before a hamstring injury ruled Anthony Martial out of the Brighton game. Cristiano Ronaldo only appeared from the bench, having been used sparingly in pre-season, while the club have yet to replace Edinson Cavani after the Uruguayan's summer departure, but there have been plenty of players linked with the club.
One of the more recent names to be linked with a move to Old Trafford is Spain frontman Alvaro Morata. The Atletico Madrid man struggled towards the end of his last Premier League stint at Chelsea, but recent reports suggest he could be available for a relatively affordable £30m.
One man set to move for even less than that is Memphis Depay. The former United star has been mentioned as a player who could return to the club, however - at the time of writing - Juventus appears to be the more likely destination for the Barcelona man.
As noted by The Athletic, "For United, the names keep coming". The publication notes that the Manchester club could return for Ismaila Sarr, a player previously on their radar back in 2020, with technical director Darren Fletcher watching the Senegal star score from the halfway line and miss a penalty in the same Watford game.
Will Man Utd end the window without signing a striker? Have your say in the comments section
Sarr isn't the only former Premier League man in the mix. While interest in Marko Arnautovic appears to have died down, Barcelona star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been linked with a return to English football.
Ten Hag is not thought to be excessively keen on the Gabon forward. However, with what is likely to be a low asking price, we may hear more about the links before the end of the transfer window.
The same goes for Mauro Icardi, an experienced goalscorer but one who has attracted attention for things other than his activity on the pitch. The Argentine is said to be open to a move, while other clubs have also been linked.
If United are ruling out older players, Jamie Vardy might be off the table. The Leicester man has also been linked, but he will turn 36 in January.
Sasa Kalajdzic is one of the younger talents on United's radar, and the 25-year-old is reportedly keen on a move after scoring goals for Stuttgart in the Bundesliga. The Austrian's national manager is former United boss Ralf Rangnick, and the German has urged him to continue his development at Mercedes-Benz Arena.
Finally, we have 23-year-old PSV star Cody Gakpo, with reports suggesting the Dutch club are unlikely to sanction a move before their Champions League play-off against Rangers. The young Dutchman is more of a wide forward, but if Ten Hag has resorted to using Eriksen up front then we can't rule out any strategy.
United have just over two weeks to complete their transfer business, with midfielders targeted as well as forwards. As the window nears its end, it will be interesting to see how desperate they get.
