It's three weeks until Manchester United return to action in the Premier League, and INEOS may welcome this break from the action to formulate a strategy for the summer transfer window.
Casemiro is off, of course, and with Manuel Ugarte having failed to inspire confidence this season, a case could be made for not one but two elite centre-midfielders being brought into the mix.
Then there's the managerial situation. Michael Carrick is doing a fine job as interim boss at Old Trafford, but whether he will be handed the reins on a permanent basis remains to be seen.
Manchester United interim manager Michael Carrick celebrates after the match
Man United also need to sign a winger and add depth and dynamism to their frontline. Last summer saw a concerted effort to overhaul the offensive wings at the Theatre of Dreams, but the recent dip in form from Bryan Mbeumo and a lack of depth suggest action may be taken in the market once again.
Bryan Mbeumo's form for Man Utd
With Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko, Mbeumo has formed an exciting new strike partnership at Old Trafford, but it's clear that Manchester United's forwards have left something to be desired this season.
The winger joined on an initial £65m deal last season after an exceptional 2024/25 campaign, but he's ebbed and flowed so far this season, curiously at a somewhat stronger level during the turbulent first half of the term.
This is a talented goalscorer and a versatile attacking outlet, someone who can star for Man United at the highest level, but it's fair to say that he's lacking some of that robust energy that characterised the early phase of his Red Devils career.
Bryan Mbeumo - Premier League Form
Stats (* per game)
Matches (starts)
Goals
Assists
Shots (on target)*
Big chances missed
Touches*
Accurate passes*
Big chances created
Key passes*
Dribbles*
Ball recoveries*
Tackles + interceptions*
Duels won*
Mbeumo is still one of the best forwards in the Premier League, but his recent form under Carrick has shown that he's not quite hit world-class status.
In fact, the Cameroon international scored seven goals and supplied an assist across 17 games for Ruben Amorim, but he's blanked across his last six outings and has left a lot to be desired with his performances.
Mbeumo
There's a case to be made that United do need a winger, but they may actually have a homegrown Mbeumo replacement who's already shown his face this season.
Man Utd could replace Mbeumo with academy star
Manchester United are confident in their chances of finishing in the top four-five of the Premier League this season, and while the summer transfer window must be effectively utilised, it's not like Carrick doesn't have some exciting up-and-coming quality to pick from.
Take Shea Lacey, for example. The Carrington graduate has already shown his face this season to mixed results, sent off late on as the Red Devils were beaten by Brighton & Hove Albion in the FA Cup third round. He has yet to reappear.
Hailed as a "Phil Foden regen" by journalist Jack Kenmare, it's fair to say that the future still looks bright for the 18-year-old, who has all the talent he needs to bounce back and make a positive impression under Carrick's wing before the end of the season.
Lacey has also been called a "wing wizard" by the Daily Mail's Chris Wheeler, and this fleet-footed, electric-paced quality across the wings and central attacking midfield could see him unsettle someone like Mbeumo over the final months of the season.
Shea Lacey
Mbeumo has hardly been firing on all cylinders as Carrick's centre-forward in recent weeks, and with that in mind, perhaps it would be worth unleashing Sesko from the outset, with the Slovenian striker growing in confidence in front of goal.
Lacey is not an out-and-out attacker, and so would be an ill-advised choice to play in Mbeumo's place at number nine. But he is a brilliant playmaker, effortless and entertaining on the ball. Watch him dance and you'll see why he has drawn comparisons to City's Foden from over the road.
He's worth backing, and if Sesko comes back into the mix as a starter, it might be worth giving Lacey a string of games on the right wing to show what he's made of.
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