It is no secret that Manchester United are keen to strengthen their centre-forward ranks this month, with Erik ten Hag’s options having been somewhat depleted following the exit of Cristiano Ronaldo.

With Anthony Martial also somewhat unreliable due to his repeated injury woes, bringing in a new striker is seemingly something of a necessity if the Red Devils are to clinch top-four qualification, with the United boss himself having insisted that there is a “need” to bolster the forward line.

Despite that desperation, the suggestion is that the club’s hefty summer spend – which reportedly totted up to roughly £225m – has left Ten Hag will little to work with with regards to funds, with the Premier League giants said to be prioritising a temporary, loan option in the current window.

One figure who has been tipped to be a short-term fix is AC Milan veteran, Olivier Giroud, with The Times reporting earlier this week that the Old Trafford outfit are considering making an offer for the experienced Frenchman.

The 36-year-old “machine” – as lauded by journalist Saddick Adams – could well be an attainable target with just six months remaining on his existing deal at San Siro, while he also offers valuable Premier League experience after previously netting 90 times in the division across spells at both Chelsea and Arsenal.

Although it is hard to dispute the 6 foot 4 gem’s stellar goal record – having scored 246 club career goals to date as well as a record-breaking haul of 53 goals in 120 caps for his country – there may well be doubts among supporters as to the wisdom of bringing in yet another, ageing striker to merely plug a gap.