Manchester United will hold “behind the scenes talks” about a January move for a new striker.
That’s according to Sky Sports transfer expert Dharmesh Sheth, who told Give Me Sport the following:
“At the end of the day, you have a situation where the striker they have there, in Cristiano Ronaldo, is not getting any younger.
“We all know that. We know how brilliant he is, but he’s not getting any younger and it seems like the way Erik ten Hag wants to play, particularly in the Premier League, doesn’t suit the way Ronaldo wants to play.
“I’m sure there will be behind-the-scenes talks for Manchester United of the ‘yes, we want to strengthen ourselves in that area.’ Whether they will be able to do anything in January is a completely different question.”
Erik ten Hag has been unable to rely on Cristiano Ronaldo this season, as the striker was initially looking to move away from Old Trafford over the summer.
He subsequently started in just one league game this season – an ill-fated trip to Brentford that saw United lose 4-0.
Since that result, Ronaldo has stepped into the role of a Europa League option and largely failed to impress in every draw.
The legendary goalscorer only managed to score a penalty against Sheriff Tiraspol and looked completely out of rhythm against Real Sociedad.
He failed to register a shot on goal from open play in any of those matches.
Ronaldo’s performances off the bench in the Premier League have also been barren in that regard, with no shots on target in 107 minutes of football since the Brentford match.
And even on the international stage, where Ronaldo remains the undisputed leader, he has been unconvincing of late, wasting chances against Spain and having no problems for the goalkeeper against the Czech Republic.
With his ineffectiveness becoming increasingly worrying, a new striker is the clear priority for a United side that only managed to add a striker to their dwindling list of options over the summer.
And while Sheth isn’t sure of United’s capabilities to enact a takeover in January, United fans are hoping those talks will lead to action.
The Red Devils are currently on a four-game winning streak, but it is notable that three of those wins were by one-goal margins, and United players failed to score in any of the losses earlier in the season.
A clinical striker, and ideally one who could offer physicality up top, could make a huge difference in Ten Hag’s attempts to instill his vision at Old Trafford.
The profile of the players selected over the summer certainly seems to suggest that the Man United hierarchy is well aware of Ten Hag’s needs from the start.
Benjamin Sesko and Victor Osimhen were among his considerations, while a late offer for Ivan Toney was also discussed.
Instead, Sesko agreed to move to RB Leipzig, while Osimhen’s cost prohibited a serious approach given United’s outlay to fix other key positions.
Toney may seem a bit more realistic than those two, however, it’s been a long time since buying in the Premier League was a path to good value, particularly for Manchester United.
John Murtough and company could look to players reaching the end of their contracts as they look for workable deals in the winter window, with Olympique Lyon’s Moussa Dembele and FC Barcelona’s Memphis Depay entering the final six months of their deals in January. . 
United Matchday Magazine: The best pre-match experienceThe Manchester derby. Ten Hag’s men are ready. this is huge
Get ready for the match and enjoy carefully curated news, opinions and more Online football content like you’ve never seen before No ads, no clickbait, no fake news – just 100% pure United Delivered instantly to your device made easy and secure online Place an order Click Preview to see more or GET YOUR FREE COPY (usually £1.25 / $1.50) Limited Time Offer: SAVE 33% on a Season Pass – Use discount code SEASON33 at checkout the purchase.
