Manchester United might be casting around in the bargain bucket for a striker this month, but the recruitment department's 'main focus' remains on the summer transfer window.
United are reluctant to enter the mid-season market, despite the success of January 2020 addition Bruno Fernandes, and the only reason they're involved this month is due to the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo.
The fact that 30-year-old Wout Weghorst, scorer of two goals in 20 Premier League games last season, has landed at the top of the list indicates the lack of funds available this month to strengthen Erik ten Hag's squad.
READ MORE: United confident of completing Weghorst loan transfer
If United were trying to make this move last January then it would almost certainly have gone down badly, but the success rate of Ten Hag's summer buys and the results he's achieved since taking over have earned him leeway to target who he wants and the faith that there is some method behind it.
But planning for the summer window is going to be complicated at this stage by a couple of factors. One is whether United will return to the Champions League and earn the riches that come with a seat at Europe's top table. The other is the identity of the club's owners come the summer.
Ever since they went significantly over budget in the summer, spending £225million on new players, most of it essentially on credit deals with instalments due to be paid in the coming years, the noises coming from inside the club have been based around caution.
Football director John Murtough told a fans' forum shortly after the window closed that that level of spending wouldn't be repeated. When he spoke to the forum in December, he raised the issue of Financial Fair Play and the desire for the club to spend responsibly and within the limits.
"You also need to remember that we invested over £200m in the squad last summer and, as a club, we need to remain financially disciplined and compliant with FFP rules," Murtough told supporters.
"So, while we will be exploring options, I don’t expect it to be a busy January window on the men’s side."
That might create more leeway in the summer but if the Glazers remain in charge when that window opens it could hint at funds being limited. That will make Champions League qualification a necessity if Ten Hag is to spend significantly again.
On current form that looks likely and the bookmakers' odds reflect that. United are fourth, but they have a game in hand next week which could take them above Newcastle in third. Tottenham, Liverpool and Chelsea are all behind United but look in various states of disarray at the moment.
Ten Hag won't be taking anything for granted, however, and his determination to force United into the market for a forward shows that. Continuing for the rest of the season with just Anthony Martial, when the club remain in four competitions and the Frenchman has lost his touch recently, would be a risk too big to consider.
If Weghorst comes in for a relatively cheap loan fee and adds goals, competition and a rotation option, then United will consider the investment to be worth it.
The other issue to consider when it comes to the summer is the potential for a takeover. There remains a real possibility a deal could be done by the end of the season, but the clock is ticking and it's going to be complicated.
Any new owner might have a very different investment strategy compared to the Glazers and that could be transformative for the window. It might give Ten Hag and Murtough a bigger budget to play with, but that will only become clear as the months' tick by. A takeover will take time to complete even once a deal is agreed in principle.
There is also the possibility that the Glazers decide against selling. Either they don't get an offer that matches their value, or they settle for fresh investment that could help with the costs of redeveloping Old Trafford and Carrington.
If that happens then the transfer window will again be about balancing the books. The club's latest financial results, released in December, revealed that £306million was still owed in relation to players signed in recent seasons.
Paying fees in instalments is a common strategy, but with United now mentioning FFP and a desire to work within the rules, that figure could be relevant in the summer. If that is the case, then Ten Hag might need to deliver Champions League football to earn the kind of budget he wants.
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