Barring a stunning resurgence, a conservative estimate would suggest Manchester United need another seven signings next summer: back-up goalkeeper, right-back, centre-back, two central midfielders, a winger and a goalscorer.

Tom Heaton, 38 in April, is out of contract in the summer and so is the brittle 35-year-old Jonny Evans. Something has to give with Raphael Varane and Harry Maguire while Aaron Wan-Bissaka's deal includes a one-year option that is expected to be triggered to preserve his resale value.

Unless Sofyan Amrabat performs like a demon over the next six months, it would be brainless to accept Fiorentina's proposal of a €20million offer to buy. Casemiro and Christian Eriksen, both 32 in February, have succumbed to injury, Antony is a dud and his namesake Martial is another flaky Frenchman United have to release.

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That is without mentioning the meek Donny van de Beek and Jadon Sancho, players United must endeavour to sever ties with in January. Seven signings is quite modest.

Two forwards is the minimum requirement to sharpen a blunt attack. Marcus Rashford is the only United forward who has scored in the Premier League and he has eked one goal in 16 club appearances. Bruno Fernandes has been responsible for three winning goals and four defenders have chipped in with winners.

Rasmus Hojlund is the highest scorer in the Champions League group stage, only a Hojlund goal has become a kiss of death. United have lost all three matches he has struck in.

In the Premier League, it is nine games and no goals for Hojlund. The 20-year-old has not struggled for chances, either. He had three against Crystal Palace, another three at Sheffield United, he bungled a one-on-one against Manchester City and squandered two glaring opportunities against Luton Town. That's nine. Had he converted two thirds he would already be into double figures.

Hojlund is not the only raw attacker. Alejandro Garnacho, not 20 until July, recently started four successive games for the first time in his career and while he displayed admirable maturity in phases, he was not a goal threat and buckled when one-on-one with Luton goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski. Antony, a €100million arrival after two years in the Eredivisie, has not scored or assisted a goal in six months.

Antony's cameo against Luton was his brightest contribution of the season and he teed up Rashford, yet his first touch was so errant the ball bounced onto his standing foot and the shot was toothless. And Rashford is, on last season's career-best form, United's prime source of goals.

United have to think differently with their attack. Antony was an exorbitant purchase concluded on deadline day in September 2022 after debacles against Brighton and Brentford. United gave little consideration to any other long-term left-footed winger who had not played for Erik ten Hag. The club vetoed an approach for Hakim Ziyech, then of Chelsea.

While Sir Alex Ferguson's eye for talent was singular and managerial autonomy is alien to elite clubs in the modern era, there are leaves to take out of the playbook. In Hojlund, United recruited a striker in the mould of Javier Hernandez. For a creator, they need to go back another year.

Antonio Valencia was a logical target to offset the world record sale of Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009. Ronaldo's eventual departure commenced the rebranding of Wayne Rooney as a No.9, so United required an old-fashioned winger to service him.

Ryan Giggs had transitioned into a central midfielder, Ji-sung Park was at his most dominant infield and Nani was erratic. Valencia, 23 when he joined for £16.5million, barely spoke any English but he was up-to-speed in English football after three years with Wigan Athletic. Valencia's shift-and-cross approach was reminiscent of Andrei Kanchelskis and he was instrumental in one of Rooney's few world-class seasons.

Valencia crossed for Rooney to nod in four times in four games, peaking with the League Cup final winner against Aston Villa in February 2010. That was Rooney's sixth headed goal in six matches yet Valencia was the deserved man of the match at Wembley.

The Ecuadorian recovered from a broken leg to have an integral role in United's run-in in 2010-11 and his form in the second half of 2011-12 secured Valencia the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award. Ferguson's decision to bench him for the decisive derby defeat at Manchester City is as infamous as benching Mark Hughes at West Ham on the final day in 1995.

Valencia received the fabled No.7 and was such a shadow of himself he reverted back to 25 under David Moyes. Louis van Gaal converted him into a right-back, first trialled by Ferguson, on a full-time basis and Valencia enjoyed a stellar season under Jose Mourinho.

But it is Valencia's years as a winger that remain relevant. He was one of the last good ones United bought. Just look at who followed: Obertan, Young, Zaha, Di Maria, Depay, Martial, Sanchez, James, Sancho, Antony. Valencia and Young, two relative successes, were downgraded into full-backs before their 30s.

Ferguson sought a Premier League specialist who was direct and familiar with servicing target men. While the focus is inevitably on Ivan Toney, if United are to telephone Brentford about a player it ought to be Bryan Mbeumo.

Mbeumo only turned 24 in August and he has amassed a creditable 19 goals and 17 assists in 85 Premier League appearances for a club that returned to the top flight after a 74-year absence in 2021. Mbeumo hit the woodwork seven times alone in 2021-22.

The Cameroon international has started either up front or on the right wing for Brentford this season, depending on the formation. He has been more potent from the right, where four of his six league goals have come from. Only Erling Haaland, Mohamed Salah, Son Heung-min, Jarrod Bowen and Callum Wilson are above Mbeumo in the Premier League goalscoring chart.

Toney, available to play again in January after an eight-month ban for breaching betting rules, is out of contract in 2025 and there will not be a shortage of takers for a Premier League England international striker. Mbeumo is tied to Brentford until 2026 and the smart move would be to move for the ever-present forward that Brentford unearthed from Troyes in 2019.

Mbeumo would be the dependable support striker for Hojlund that Martial is not and he is a more productive foil from the flank. The Glazers might argue his two signings into one.

United would still need another one.