Manchester United recently confirmed the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo by mutual agreement and the club could now pursue a low-cost replacement in January.

Barcelona’s Memphis Depay has already been mentioned as a possible target for the club’s hierarchy, but his injury problems over the past 18 months are a concern.

The Red Devils should look at alternatives to the Dutchman and in our opinion, Marcus Thuram could be a tempting option with his contract expiring next summer.

The Frenchman has been in sensational form for Borussia Monchengladbach this campaign with 13 goals and four assists from 17 games. He is currently at the World Cup.

The 25-year-old has no plans of penning a fresh contract with the Bundesliga outfit and this offers United the chance to prise him away for a knockdown fee this winter.

Here is why Man Utd should sign Thuram

United currently have Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial as the striker options, but the latter has been sidelined for most of the season with three separate injuries.

The 26-year-old managed to return to full fitness before the World Cup break and there are no assurances that he will stay unscathed for the rest of the season.

Hence, United can’t rely on Rashford alone with the congested workload next year and they must pursue another centre-forward, who can make a difference for them.

Thuram would be a perfect signing in our view. The Frenchman has obviously excelled with his finishing but he also possesses a strong aerial presence and good hold-up play.

Aside from being a striker, the former Guingamp man can comfortably play from the left wing with his good dribbling and pace – he has made over 90 appearances from the role.

Thuram is currently valued at €30 million by Transfermarkt, but United could realistically sign him for half the price as Monchengladbach may not want to lose him on a free transfer.

The club should still anticipate plenty of competition. As per Sport, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool are all weighing up movesfor the versatile forward ahead of January.