Manchester United target Mandzukic and Wilson

Manchester United are considering a move for one of two strikers in the January transfer window, according to a report on Sky Sports, which is entirely reliable.

United failed to replace Alexis Sanchez and Romelu Lukaku who together did two to Inter Milan, though United are doomed to have Sanchez back at the end of the season, if not sooner.

That meant that United had Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood to play through the middle, with Rashford demonstrating a huge lack of confidence as well as a worrying lack of progress in his game since his debut.

Teenager Greenwood has impressed in flashes but is too young to be relied upon, but there is little option for him to escape responsibility for now, particularly as Anthony Martial is struggling to return to fitness.

Allied to that is the struggle of Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard and Paul Pogba, who are failing to contribute much to the attack, and there are few goals coming from elsewhere.

But there is hope! Sort of.

Sky Sports believe that United are going to attempt to bring in Juventus striker Mario Mandzukic from Juventus, who will cost around nine million quid. At 33, he would be a short-term option to get them to the end of the season, with perhaps the chance to stay on for a season more.

The other candidate named is Callum Wilson, the Bournemouth striker on the fringes of the England squad. The 27-year-old is valued at around £60 million, and despite not being exciting, is a proven striker in the league. Wilson and Mandzukic, a sparkless striker and a waning veteran respectively, demonstrate how far United have fallen of late, and the difficulty of assembling a squad with the required quality to start challenging for the top four again.