Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting the next Odion Ighalo? Man Utd line up another surprise loan transfer & make contact over Timo Werner move with January budget likely to be limited amid FFP concerns

United have badly struggled for goals this season from their attackers, with £72m ($91m) signing Rasmus Hojlund and Anthony Martial scoring just one Premier League goal each. The club are now considering recruiting a striker on loan in January, according to The Athletic, as they do not have the funds to make a permanent signing. Bayern Munich striker Choupo-Moting is one option as he is struggling for regular football due to the signing of Harry Kane, while the Red Devils have reportedly made enquiries about getting Timo Werner in from RB Leipzig.

United have scarce transfer funds after splurging around £400m ($507m) in the last two years and have looked to the loan market in recent years to plug gaps in their squad amid FFP concerns, albeit with limited success. United made the surprise signing of former Watford striker Odion Ighalo on January transfer deadline day in 2020, and last year brought in Wout Weghorst plus midfielder Marcel Sabitzer on loan. All three players failed to score a Premier League goal between them.

Choupo-Moting struck 17 times last season in all competitions for Bayern but has had to make do with a smattering of substitutes' appearances this season after the arrival of Kane. He has started just twice in the Bundesliga this campaign and has not been in Thomas Tuchel's lineup for any of Bayern's Champions League matches. Werner, meanwhile, has made just eight appearances for RB Leipzig, two of which were starts, scoring twice.

United will hope that Hojlund and Martial will have recovered from illness by the time they visit Wigan next Monday in the third round of the FA Cup. The Danish striker and the Frenchman missed the defeat to Nottingham Forest, meaning Marcus Rashford had to start as centre-forward.