Sir Jim Ratcliffe embraces Ruben Amorim after the Europa League final.
Manchester United are facing a massive summer.
There is just over a month to go until Manchester United's pre-season tour of the United States.
United are scheduled to fly out to the US for the Premier League Summer Series in five weeks' time and the clock is ticking in their attempts to get new players signed in time to bag a place on the plane.
United will face West Ham United, Bournemouth and Everton in the US, with their tour opener against the Hammers on July 27. Either side of the tour, the Reds will face Leeds United in Norway and Italian side Fiorentina at Old Trafford.
In an ideal world, United would love to have the bulk of their business wrapped up before crossing the Atlantic. In reality, that is unlikely to be the case.
Last summer, for example, United completed three of their five summer signings after the tour. Only Leny Yoro went to the US after Joshua Zirkzee was granted a period of leave after representing the Netherlands at the European Championship in Germany earlier in the summer.
Matheus Cunha is United's only new addition so far this summer after recently arriving from Wolves for £62.5million, but the club is hopeful of adding Bryan Mbeumo to the dressing room sooner rather than later.
The Brentford star, despite also attracting interest from Tottenham Hotspur, has told confidants that his preferred destination is Old Trafford. United saw an opening offer of £45million plus £10m in add-ons turned down earlier this month, but talks between the two clubs remain open.
United would like to sign the Cameroonian, who scored 20 Premier League goals in 2024/25, by the time pre-season starts in early-July, meaning United are in a battle against the clock to get him through the door.
Signing Mbeumo would add another piece to United's jigsaw. They have made strengthening their attack a leading priority this summer and they would be two thirds of the way towards completing that objective if they were to sign the Brentford ace.
Bryan Mbeumo is a leading target for Manchester United. (Image: Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images.)
However, the biggest challenge United face this summer is recruiting a No.9. They are in desperate need of a goalscorer and failing to sign one isn't an option.
After missing out on Liam Delap to Chelsea, United's search for a striker could head in a number of different directions. They are being linked with a plethora of names, such as Viktor Gyokeres, Hugo Ekitike and Victor Osimhen.
However, landing the statement striker they are in such desperate need of is not going to be an easy or straightforward task.
United are also dependent on player sales to raise cash to fund new additions. If they sign Mbeumo for a fee in the region of £60m, they will then be reliant on departures to strengthen other areas of the squad.
There is an obvious need for a midfielder and a goalkeeper to challenge Andre Onana, but recruiting an established No.9 has to take priority. United scored just 44 league goals last season and have finished the last two Premier League campaigns with a negative goal difference.
Having been without Zirkzee, despite him turning out not to be a No.9, on last summer's tour, and Rasmus Hojlund arriving after the tour the previous year, United can ill-afford to go another pre-season campaign without a recognised No.9 in their ranks.
Amorim would love to be able to take his new starting striker to the US with him and give him the opportunity to get used to his new teammates, learn the system and attempt to settle himself in before the competitive action starts against Arsenal on August 17.
But for that ambition to become a reality, United are going to have to identify their top target to spearhead their attack and step up their efforts in the market to fund his arrival. Neither are impossible tasks, but the countdown is most definitely on.