Manchester United spent a club-record amount on new signings during the summer transfer window as Erik ten Hag was belatedly backed towards the end of August following the team's disastrous start to the season.
Back-to-back losses to Brighton and Brentford and fan unrest with the club's owners prompted the Glazers to dig a little deeper and fund the arrivals of Casemiro and Antony for a combined fee that could surpass £150million.
United signed Tyrell Malacia, Christian Eriksen and Lisandro Martinez earlier on in the window, all of whom have established themselves as first-teamers in the opening weeks of the season.
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Martin Dubravka's loan arrival from Newcastle concluded United's summer business as far as incomings were concerned, yet the rebuild is not over yet and United will return to the market next year.
Given the amount United spent in the summer just gone, they will welcome any possible bargain additions and they could come in the form of free agents next summer.
From January, United will be able to negotiate with players outside of the Premier League whose contracts are due to expire next summer. Here are some of the superstar names who currently find themselves in that position:
Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid) - David de Gea is one of United's highest-paid players and his contract is up next year. Although United have the option to extend De Gea's deal to 2024, it might be tempting to part ways and bring in a 'keeper on a cheaper deal. Oblak would certainly be an excellent replacement.
Toni Kroos (Real Madrid) - United have just signed one of the great Real Madrid midfielders and another could be available for free in under a year's time. The Kroos-Modric axis appears timeless but in reality it isn't, and Carlo Ancelotti is already working on nurturing Madrid's midfield for the next decade with Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga. David Moyes wanted Kroos - could Ten Hag get him?
- Karim Benzema (Real Madrid) - Benzema is a shoo-in for the Ballon d'Or after his stunning form in the Champions League last season. Madrid will want to keep him after Kylian Mbappe shunned a move to the Bernabeu to remain at PSG.
- Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain) - Realistically, Messi to United is a non-starter, but he is out of contract in Paris next year. Given how he's started the season, though, Les Parisiens will definitely be keen to extend Messi's stay in the French capital.
Other available players:
Milian Skriniar (Inter Milan) - Jose Mourinho identified Skriniar as a potential target in 2018 but he was deemed too expensive an option by the board and United spent a record £80m on Harry Maguire the following year. United look well set in defence but Skriniar would certainly add strength in depth.
- Thomas Lemar (Atletico Madrid) - United have options aplenty on the left flank in Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Anthony Elanga. Anthony Martial can play there too, so it would be a surprise to see Lemar move to Manchester.
- Jose Gaya (Valencia) - Had Malacia not been signed and hit the ground running, left-back Gaya would appear a logical option given Luke Shaw's post-Euro 2020 slump. United look well set at left-back now, though.
- Marco Asensio (Real Madrid) - Asensio burst onto the scene at Madrid several years ago but has not quite hit the heights many expected him to. He could be an option for United as an inverted left-footed winger off the right flank as a challenger to Antony.
- Memphis Depay (Barcelona) - Depay was a big failure at United but has had success at Lyon and Barcelona since leaving. Given Barca's financial situation, he is likely a player they would be open to letting go given the depth they have in attacking areas. United need another centre-forward and they could do worse than Depay, even if he might not seem the most appealing option.
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