Manchester United's football director John Murtough discussed the club's transfer business during September's meeting with investors and his comments are worth revisiting, especially with the January window now just around the corner.
Murtough said: "During the summer, we made significant investment in the first-team squad with the permanent addition of five regular starters, including a balance of experienced international players and younger, emerging talent.
"We will continue to support Erik [Ten Hag] in ensuring he has players with the right quality and characters to achieve success, while ensuring that investment remains consistent with our commitment to financial sustainability.
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"Overall, we are ahead of schedule in our recruitment plans as envisaged at the start of the summer, and we do not anticipate the same level of activity in future windows. As always, our planning focuses on the summer window."
Murtough's closing remarks were of particular interest, as they informed investors that investment was not expected in January. United were also quiet in January last season and it's a window in which they tend to prefer to avoid business.
The value of players is inflated at the halfway point of the season, making the winter market tricky to manoeuvre, and that explains why United have looked to sign their main targets in the summer in recent years, as opposed to in January.
That's without mentioning that United invested £229 million in signing Tyrell Malacia, Lisandro Martinez, Christian Eriksen, Antony, Casemiro and Martin Dubravka in the summer, the biggest amount in a single window in the club's history.
Although Erik ten Hag has been backed in the transfer market, he's still often been forced to name two goalkeepers on the bench this term and it's clear the squad lacks depth.
Ten Hag moved Harry Maguire to centre-forward against Real Sociedad at the Reale Arena in the Europa League and, although that was a late attempt to score a goal to win the group, it felt like a message to the board about the lack of options.
The Dutchman has said it's a 'fact' that his attacking options are limited and it's obvious that's the area in which needs to be strengthened next, with Anthony Martial the only recognised striker at his disposal after Cristiano Ronaldo's exit.
Marcus Rashford has predominately played down the middle this season but his best position is on the left side. Martial has looked sharp when he's played but it would be foolish to rely on his fitness, while Ronaldo made his last appearance for the club against Aston Villa after making sensational claims in his explosive interview with Piers Morgan last week.
United were not preparing to spend in January, but the Ronaldo debacle will force the club into signing a striker. The Manchester Evening News also understands the club are open to signing one in the January transfer window.
It would be negligence from the club to expect Ten Hag to manage for the rest of the season with Martial as his only recognised striker and that suggests they'll simply have to spend in January, despite not planning on that eventuality in September.
While the fallout with Ronaldo couldn't have been foreseen, it might actually work to Ten Hag's advantage, as he could get the chance to sign a striker in January that he will actually trust (Ronaldo made just four Premier League starts).
United needed to sign a striker when Ronaldo was at the club and the problem has been exacerbated by his departure. It's simply a non-negotiable that the club signs a goalscorer in January.
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