The January transfer window will open two weeks from today, but Manchester United might already have been boosted by the addition of a new first-team option before it even happens.
Ralf Rangnick is not anticipated to have a particularly busy window as he looks to evaluate the current situation at the club, while the current COVID outbreak in English football could result in an even quieter month than usual.
With many squads down to the bare bones amid positive tests and periods of self-isolation, it seems unlikely any side will want to risk weakening their squad, making player sales and purchases that bit harder unless a team can make a lucrative offer.
United are already blessed with a well-stocked squad and have no immediate need to dip into the transfer window, though they could benefit from the old cliche of utilising a current player like a new signing.
Although the first-team will no longer be in action this Saturday lunchtime, there will still be some United involvement in world football as highly-rated teenager Hannibal Mejbri prepares for the biggest match of his career.
United signed the teenage attacking talent for a fee rising to €10million from Monaco in 2019 and he was crowned the club's Under-23 Player of the Year last season after another impressive campaign where he showed great maturity against many sides who looked to contain his talent by adopting a physical approach.
A reward for his maturity has been a call-up to the Tunisia squad for the ongoing Arab Cup, with the 18-year-old currently gearing up to face Algeria in Saturday's final after a stellar tournament in which he has been one of the standout names.
The caveat is that the competition, which is essentially a warm-up for next year's World Cup in Qatar, is being held outside of Fifa's international calendar, with most star players missing.
Though the absence of high-profile players has affected the prestige of the tournament this year, it has been a huge blessing for the likes of Mejbri, who now has far more senior appearances at international level than he does at club level in his career.
It might have been a different story had a shoulder injury not prevented him from making his United debut at the start of the calendar year, with the former Monaco hopeful instead having to wait until the final day of last season before he finally graced the pitch at senior level.
After a standout Arab Cup the United teenager now has eight international appearances to his name since switching allegiance to Tunisia back in May, when he was involved in a high-profile media presentation for the African nation, a sign of the coup they feel they have pulled off.
Mejbri will make it nine international appearances when he faces Algeria on Saturday afternoon, and while winning the trophy is his immediate short-term goal, he knows a big performance in such a high-profile game could be his perfect audition for a World Cup call-up next winter too.
"It’s a real ambition we all want to fulfil," he admitted last week. "Everyone is dreaming of returning to Qatar in a year’s time to play at the World Cup, and we’ll continue to work hard towards that.
"For my part, I’ll do all I can to be included in the squad and even start games with Tunisia at Qatar 2022. Why not?"
United coaches will stress that there is still a lot of work to be done before Mejbri can be thrown into the senior spotlight on a more regular basis, but after an impressive impact at international level, Rangnick certainly has plenty of food for thought.
A fortnight before the transfer window opens, United might have already found their next first-team player.
