Ruben Amorim may have to turn to an unwanted solution this summer after reportedly suffering transfer heartbreak at the hands of Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres. The Manchester United head coach is said to want a striker after the planned arrival of Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo, but his top two targets look to have evaded him.
United were in the hunt for Liam Delap after an impressive individual season for relegated side Ipswich Town, scoring 12 Premier League goals. However, the 22-year-old opted for the allure of Champions League football and the London lifestyle, joining Chelsea in a £30million deal. Reports suggested that United's failure in that pursuit accelerated their interest in a swoop for Mbeumo.
Talks are ongoing with Brentford, who rejected an initial bid worth £55m and reportedly want a guaranteed £60m to part ways with their star man.
Should United fend off rival interest from Tottenham Hotspur and Thomas Frank to add Mbeumo to Amorim's attack, a striker will be next on the agenda.
The Red Devils will have to generate funds through player sales, having already splashed £62.5m to sign Matheus Cunha from Wolves.
Gyokeres was claimed to be Amorim's chosen target once he's boosted his budget - after the pair struck up a dominant partnership at Sporting.
Previous reports claimed the 54-goal superstar was available for as low as £59m due to an agreement with Sporting.
The Portuguese giants' president, Frederico Varandas, has since come out publicly to deny those reports, insisting they will demand a higher fee.
And on Saturday, it went from bad to worse. Record report that the 27-year-old has rejected a summer transfer to United and prefers Arsenal as a Premier League destination.
Old Trafford figures are said to have been informed by Gyokeres' representatives that he won't be joining, which leaves the situation in limbo.
Victor Osimhen is on the market ahead of his permanent Napoli exit, but the Nigerian's wage demands were enough to turn Saudi Arabia off. That says it all.
Meanwhile, Jean-Philippe Mateta has also been linked but is reportedly on the verge of signing a new contract at Crystal Palace.
There should be European football on offer at Selhurst Park next season. The same can't be said for Old Trafford after a 15th-place Premier League finish.
Hugo Ekitike is another supposedly on Amorim's radar, but Eintracht Frankfurt value the Frenchman at £85m. That's a non-starter.
As it stands, Marcus Rashford is scheduled to return to Carrington for the start of pre-season in July, along with the several other players in the shop window.
Aston Villa didn't trigger their £40m option to buy, and links to Barcelona haven't yet developed into anything concrete.
While United would benefit from offloading Rashford for around that fee, it's easier said than done. They have similar issues with the likes of Antony and Jadon Sancho.
At what point does Amorim bid try to get through to the forward he exiled and make him the centrepiece of a new-look front three?
Rashford was pushed aside for more than a month before leaving for Villa on loan in January. Amorim suggested he only wanted players who are ready to buy into his mammoth project.
Should the 27-year-old remain uninterested, he has to leave. There can be no exceptions in such an important summer.
But if he shows a desire to fight for his United future, the club possess a striker who not long ago scored 30 goals in a single season.
Rasmus Hojlund isn't the answer as Amorim's first-choice striker. However, from the ashes of a disintegrated relationship, Rashford could be, if given another chance.