Manchester United's next signing could be their most important.
The club has made good progress under Erik ten Hag this season and has laid solid foundations to build upon in the years ahead.
Ten Hag has introduced a new style of play, asserted his dominance, brought silverware back to the club, and started his rebuild of the playing squad.
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There is a real belief that this campaign could be the springboard for further success, and while a lot of things would have to fall their way, a Premier League title charge next season is not out of the question.
United have already capitalised on the transition of other top teams to establish themselves as the best of the rest this season, and if opponents falter next season, they will be on hand to take advantage of it again.
The success of Arsenal this season has shown what is possible with an authoritative manager that has a clear idea of how they want to play, and what can be done when backed to bring in the players they trust.
United can't afford any complacency going forward, though, and although they will most likely still face a tough fight to even get Champions League football next season, they also have a right to dream of a title challenge.
The key to that, though, could well depend on the calibre of striker they manage to add to their squad this summer.
Harry Kane is Ten Hag's prime striker target, and there is a belief he could have an impact on the side similar to that of Robin van Persie over a decade ago.
Both he and Victor Osimhen are elite striker options who could arrive and instantly elevate United from pretenders to contenders. They won't come cheap, though, and if United were to win the battle for either, they would most likely need to invest a club-record fee.
That is problematic given United are well aware they will need to sell before they can buy this summer, and much of their business could depend on how much they manage to generate in the transfer market themselves.
United's need for a proven scorer is so prevalent that they should still be able to finance a high-profile move for the likes of Kane or Osimhen, but they might not have so much money to strengthen other positions, so they could have to halt other plans.
There is an argument that they need to add another striker to their side to help them in the long-term, but it is difficult to justify such a move when there are more pressing issues for back-up in midfield and defence.
United hierarchy would also be within their rights to point out that rather than sign two strikers this summer, they could solve their issues by adding one and getting more goals from their wide men as well.
There is also an element of safety required from the transfer policy, given that every signing the club makes is so heavily scrutinised and picked apart.
United need to sign someone who will bring the best bet of goals to their side, and therefore might not be able to take a risk on some of the fresher faces in the world of football.
The Manchester Evening News revealed on Wednesday that United are keeping tabs on Eintracht Frankfurt striker Randal Kolo Muani and Atalanta goalscorer Rasmus Hojlund should they be priced out of a move for Kane, while they are also being linked with Brighton youngster Evan Ferguson.
All three of those players could develop into the type of elite striker that United need, but right now they are not in a position to take the risk this summer.
Rather than being proactive with a pursuit of a highly-rated, but largely unproven forward, they will most likely need to be reactive and sign someone who has already had vast experience at the highest level.
If they get things right this summer, United could well be title challengers next season as a result. Get things wrong, and an entire year of progress could be undone.
They are not in a position to take many risks.
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