The timing of Cristiano Ronaldo expressing a desire to leave Manchester United couldn't have been much worse for the club, arriving 48 hours before Erik ten Hag welcomed the rest of his squad back to Carrington and deep into a transfer window that had been well planned.
United had spent much of May and June planning their new recruits under Ten Hag, with Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong top of the list. A deal to sign Tyrell Malacia has been completed, Christian Eriksen is close to signing and De Jong and Lisandro Martinez could follow.
But Ronaldo has thrown a spanner in the works. If the 37-year-old pushes for an exit then it will leave Ten Hag with a hole in his attack where there was previously a player with more than 800 career goals to his name.
READ MORE: United's Dybala transfer stance amid Ronaldo absence
Replacing that in a window where significant funds are already committed will be extremely difficult. With a bit more warning United might have been able to incorporate a striker into their plans, although Erling Haaland would still have joined Manchester City and Darwin Nunez would still have gone to Liverpool.
Now it is a question of who is left. Paulo Dybala is available on a free transfer but there have been no talks over a deal. He is 28, was generally excellent at Juventus and he's been scouted by United previously, although his wage demands scuppered a move in 2019.
There is another Serie A option, however, in Sassuolo striker Gianluca Scamacca. The 23-year-old doesn't have a huge profile outside his home country, although he was linked with Arsenal earlier in the window.
He has been something of a late developer for the modern game, having had spells in the academies of Roma and PSV Eindhoven before finally finding a home in an enterprising Sassuolo side. The previous two seasons have brought 25 goals and seven Italy caps.
The 6ft 5ins striker certainly looks like he's equipped from the Premier League and there is a feeling that there's more to come from him as well.
Speaking in a recent international camp, Azzurri boss Roberto Mancini was full of praise for the potential of the striker.
“Scamacca has everything it takes to become a complete centre-forward,” he said. “He scores all kinds of goals: headers, goals from distance, close-range finishes. He’s powerful and skilful. I had a long chat with him at our recent camp and told him how far he can go."
Scamacca seems certain to leave Sassuolo this summer and recent reports have suggested he's very close to signing for Paris St-Germain, although there isn't exactly an obvious role for a striker in a team comprising Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.
Before he left the club, one of Ralf Rangnick's most sensible suggestions was that United needed to sign a young forward this summer and Scamacca fits that bill. If Ronaldo does depart then he could get the chance to become the main man at OId Trafford, rather than a bit-part in Paris.
In a window where there aren't many strikers available, the Italy international is worth running the rule over for United.
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