It is shaping up to be an interesting final week of the January transfer window as clubs scramble to get deals over the line ahead of deadline day next Monday.
With time running out to secure a season-defining signing, desperation is running high and Manchester United could be one of the parties to benefit.
Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard are two names that have dominated the gossip columns all month, and it is looking increasingly likely they will both leave United by the end of the week.
French forward Martial will arrive in Spain on Tuesday to sign for Sevilla on-loan until the end of the season, while it only seems a matter of time before Lingard caves into the incessant pursuit from Newcastle for his signature.
Ralf Rangnick has already admitted he has a squad which is 'a little too big' and the exit of two peripheral attacking options is unlikely to hamper United's pursuit of a top-four finish in the second-half of the season.
With two senior players soon to be off the books, many United fans have wondered how the club might look to replenish their attack. The truth is that they already have their two replacements at the club.
One of the biggest gripes in recent years is that out-of-favour squad players have been used to stack the bench, which in turn has limited the number of meaningful opportunities granted to young prospects.
Anthony Elanga is one of those two ready-made replacements already at the club, but his own recent breakthrough might not have happened if Martial had been available to face Aston Villa earlier this month.
Instead, in a sliding doors moment, the breakdown in communication between Martial and his manager provided the talented Swedish teenager with his own chance in the first team — which he took with both hands.
There had been significant loan interest shown in Elanga this month, but now he is set to remain at the club for the remainder of the season and is firmly in Rangnick's first-team plans.
United's other ready-made replacement comes in the shape of Hannibal Mejbri, who is expected to be integrated into the senior set-up when he returns from the African Cup of Nations.
The 19-year-old is now a fully fledged Tunisia international, though he has struggled to impress at the ongoing international tournament. Mejbri was hooked at half-time as Tunisia lost to Mali in their opener and came on for a late cameo in the defeat to Gambia — with both tournament wins coming when the United youngster was an unused substitute.
Despite the unfortunate coincidence, the former Monaco starlet remains highly-rated by club coaches, including Rangnick, and is set to be more regularly involved in first-team training sessions as early as next month.
The fixture schedule could well dictate how much playing time either youngster gets between now and the end of the season, but the club are eager for both Elanga and Mejbri to be involved in the senior setup and learn from some of the world's best footballers on a daily basis.
With so many exciting attacking talents already at the club, United have even less reason to play hardball over Martial and Lingard this week.
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