Manchester United supporters were expecting a busy January transfer window but have to wait until the summer for any new additions.
With the rumoured departure of Donny van de Beek and an overreliance on Bruno Fernandes, the team could do with some extra creative support.
This will be an issue in the summer transfer window because Paul Pogba is also expected to leave at the end of the season, leaving United light in their creative options.
At the same time, United will be short in their forward line. Edinson Cavani is expected to leave at the end of the season, and Anthony Martial's long-term future at Old Trafford appears uncertain.
However, with uncertainty over the managerial position, it always remained a long shot that United would strengthen in the winter market. Fans see it as a pressing issue, but it doesn't make sense to sign a player when a new manager is potentially coming in at the end of the season from a business point of view.
Mauricio Pochettino, who feels like the clear favourite, continues to get linked with the permanent position.
Pochettino has been on United's wish list since 2018 when he was in charge of Tottenham Hotspur, but a run of 14 wins out of 19 matches for then-interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ensured he bagged the job on a 3-year-contract.
Pochetttino is currently unhappy at PSG, and if United come calling, it's widely expected he'd listen to the offer.
If he did come, he would be tasked with potentially finding a creative forward for the club, but United may have already helped him in pursuit of his perfect signing.
Paulo Dybala came close to joining United in 2019 when they looked for a new creative forward.
It was reported that Dybala wanted to leave Juventus, with Pochettino also reportedly interested in his services when he was at Spurs.
It was widely rumoured that Pochettino admired Dybala and saw him as the perfect signing to solve his creative troubles. United needed someone to offer an attacking threat because a profile was missing at the time.
However, Dybala decided to stay at Juventus, and the breakdown in talks meant United ended their pursuit for the Argentinian. The issue involved a high demand for agent fees and image rights problems.
Fast forward the situation to today, and Dybala is unhappy. His current contract expires on June 30, and a deal had been struck to pay wages of £8.3m per season, but Juventus suddenly postponed renegotiation until after the January transfer window.
The forward made it clear he was not happy with the decision, feeling there was no faith in him, and the club is preparing to retract the agreed salary, instead offering a much lower figure.
It means there's a genuine possibility Dybala could leave at the end of the season, and if Pochettino joins United, it feels like a match made in heaven.
Two Argentinians gracing Old Trafford – what more could fans want? Everybody knows Pochettino likes Dybala, and when his Tottenham team faced Juventus in the Champions League in 2018, he was full of admiration for him;
He said, as per Daily Mail: "I think Dybala will recover and I hope he does, because I think it's always nice to play against the best in the world.
"I put Dybala in that category because he is a special talent and seeing him on the pitch is wonderful, even if he might cause your team a few problems."
Seeing as he could be available for free, United should be doing everything to convince him to join, especially if they have Pochettino at the front of their thoughts.
With Cavani looking increasingly likely to leave the club, Dybala would be a different but effective forward option than the Uruguayan. It would be a signing that symbolises a new era at Old Trafford.
Could United move for Dybala if Pochettino comes? Follow our United On My Mind writer Omar Garrick on Twitter to get involved in the discussion and give us your thoughts on the matter in the comments section below.
