With Christmas now right around the corner, attention will soon switch to the January transfer window.
The mid-season window offers clubs the opportunity to add to their squad and offload those, either on a permanent deal or on loan, that do not figure in their plans, either in the long-term or the short-term.
For Manchester United, who will be hoping to resume their campaign against Newcastle United next Monday evening, the January window is expected to feature activity, but just how much remains to be seen.
Considering United have an interim manager in place in Ralf Rangnick, new arrivals are unlikely, unless United believe that a specific player could come in and make a difference. Furthermore, the Reds spent well over £100million in the summer and another big-money recruitment drive is unexpected.
Therefore, departures are far more likely to be the theme of the window for the Reds, with the futures of Anthony Martial, Jesse Lingard and Paul Pogba currently hanging in the balance, whilst some of the club's younger players may fancy their chances of leaving on loan.
United are no strangers to the loan market, with them sending 14 players out on temporary deals during the summer. But how have they been getting on this term, both in Britain and across the globe?
Below, MEN Sport has taken a close look to see how they have been progressing.
Axel Tuanzebe - Aston Villa
After spending time on loan at Villa Park twice in the past, centre-back Tuanzebe returned to the Midlands outfit for a third spell in August, joining the club on a season-long loan deal.
The 23-year-old, who signed a new two-year contract extension at Old Trafford in the summer, has made 11 appearances for Villa so far this season, helping them earn four clean sheets.
However, he has struggled to force his way into new manager Steven Gerrard's plans, racking up just eight minutes worth of football in his first six games in charge.
Brandon Williams - Norwich City
Whilst Tuanzebe has lost out in the changing of the guard at Villa Park, Williams has benefited from a change in management at Carrow Road.
After sacking Daniel Farke, Norwich turned to former Villa boss Dean Smith to try and keep them afloat in the Premier Leagu e this season and he has immediately installed faith and trust in Williams.
The United left-back has started five of the six games Smith has been in charge of, with the only exception being against the Reds, as per the terms of his loan deal.
Williams will now be hoping that he continues to benefit from Smith's arrival at Carrow Road and make his loan spell worthwhile.
Ethan Laird - Swansea City
Linking up with Russell Martin for a second time in his career, United right-back Laird joined Swansea on loan in mid-August, providing him with the opportunity to play at Championship level for the very first time.
Laird spent time on loan at League One side MK Dons, who were managed by Martin at the time, last season and his showings for the Stadium: MK club earned him the chance to prove himself just one step down from the Premier League.
The youngster, who is only 20, has been thriving for the Swans in a right wing-back role, racking up 21 appearances in league and cup. Although he has not yet opened his goalscoring account for the Welsh outfit, he has claimed four assists and been a constant threat down the right-flank.
On how he has been finding life at the Swansea.com Stadium, Laird, as quoted by BBC Sport, said last month: "I am loving it. I am a happy guy. I am kind of privileged - my job is my hobby so I have got to smile, really."
Di'Shon Bernard - Hull City
After spending time in League Two at Salford City last season, defender Bernard made the leap to the Championship in the summer, joining newly-promoted Hull.
The centre-back, who is 21, has been a regular fixture in the Tigers' defence so far this season, racking up 18 appearances in all competitions.
After a difficult period, Hull have turned a corner in recent weeks, losing just one of their last seven matches, which was a 2-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest on Saturday. In that seven-game period, Bernard made six appearances and helped the Tigers earn two clean sheets.
Hailing Bernard back in September, Hull manager Grant McCann, as quoted by bet365, said: "He just loves defending. He loves getting his body in the way, winning headers and the physical side of the game."
James Garner - Nottingham Forest
Highly-rated midfielder Garner returned to the City Ground in the summer to join Nottingham Forest on loan for the second time this year, having spent the second half of last season applying his trade on the banks of the Trent.
Tipped to have a bright future at Old Trafford in years to come, the box-to-box midfielder has been a key fixture for Forest so far this season, under both former manager Chris Hughton, who signed him for a second time, and new boss Steve Cooper, who has overseen a remarkable transformation in results in recent weeks.
Garner has made 19 appearances in the Championship this season and has been a regular fixture under Cooper. The midfielder has scored one goal and grabbed one assist this term, with them both coming in a 2-0 win over Peterborough United earlier this month.
On Garner, Forest chief Cooper recently told Nottinghamshire Live : "At this moment in time he's doing really, really well. He's been a little bit in and out of the team, and we've had some good, honest conversations.
"I have a good relationship with Jim and his family anyway, because of our time together with England.
"These loans can be really important for young players from Premier League clubs. We hope this one is. They can be up and down - I wouldn’t say he had a down, but he was fighting to get in the team."
Tahith Chong - Birmingham City
The last member of United's loan army to drop down into the Championship, Dutchman Chong soon hit the ground running at Birmingham, becoming a firm fans' favourite at St Andrew's.
Quick, direct and capable of producing a trick or two, Chong was proving himself to be something of a luxury player in the second tier and the Birmingham supporters and manager Lee Bowyer could not stop lauding him with praise.
However, the Dutchman's continued progress hit the buffers in October as he suffered an injury in training. After undergoing thigh surgery, he now faces a period of time on the sidelines, although Bowyer recently admitted he is ahead of schedule in regards to his recovery.
Bowyer said : "All I can say is he is ahead of schedule. I don’t want to say days, weeks, months – whatever it is. All I know is he is ahead of schedule which is good.
"Obviously he is back at Man United getting treatment and they are looking after him, so we know he is getting very, very well looked after there – which is positive for us. It was good to hear that last week.
"Fingers crossed everything goes smoothly, he is still a long, long way away but fingers crossed we see him at some stage before the end of the season."
Prior to picking up his injury, the winger had racked up 13 appearances, claiming three assists.
Ethan Galbraith - Doncaster Rovers
Lower down the English football pyramid, midfielder Galbraith joined League One outfit Doncaster in a bid to bolster his experience levels.
The Northern Irishman, who is only 20, has so far made a total of 22 appearances for the South Yorkshire club in all competitions, netting one goal and grabbing two assists. His only goal for Rovers so far was a sensational strike from distance in a 1-1 draw against Cambridge United in October.
Rovers are currently camped inside the relegation zone and on the hunt for a new manager, meaning both they and Galbraith have some serious work to do to avoid dropping to League Two.
Nathan Bishop - Mansfield Town
Goalkeeper Bishop dropped into League Two during the summer to try and bolster his first-team chances, joining Mansfield on loan.
The 22-year-old, who has also spent time on loan at Southend United in the past, has installed himself as the Stags' first-choice shot-stopper, starting all 21 of their League Two fixtures this season so far. He has also played in both the League Cup and FA Cup.
He has kept five clean sheets in total.
D'Mani Mellor - Salford City
Elsewhere in League Two, young United striker Mellor made the short hop to Salford, in the hope of securing regular first-team football.
Joining the club in late August, Mellor has struggled to have any sort of impact at the Peninsula Stadium, making just one appearance for the club, that amounting to a single minute, stepping off the bench in a 3-0 win over Cambridge United on the day he joined the club.
However, his chances have not been helped by an injury issue. He has not been included in the matchday squad since September 18 and returned to United to feature in an U23 game recently.
Will Fish - Stockport County
Even further down the English football pyramid, but not a million miles away from Old Trafford, young defender Fish joined National League side Stockport on loan for the season in July.
Despite joining the club in a bid to secure more first-team football, Fish has made just two appearances so far this season, with the last of those coming in September.
Dylan Levitt - Dundee United
North of the border, Welsh midfielder Levitt joined Scottish club Dundee United on loan during the summer and has so far benefited from some regular first-team football.
Making a total of ten appearances in league and cup, Levitt has made seven starts in the Scottish Premiership. Having frequently imposing himself as the anchor in the Scottish troops' midfield, Levitt has not featured in the last seven league fixtures. He had recently picked up a knock, forcing him to miss five games, returned to the bench for the clash with Livingston on December 12 but was then absent again against Rangers on Saturday.
His temporary stint in Scotland is his third loan spell away from Old Trafford, previously spending time at both Charlton Athletic and Croatian club NK Istra 1961.
Reece Devine - St Johnstone
Joining Levitt in swapping Manchester for Scotland was midfielder Devine, who joined St Johnstone on loan for the season.
Devine, who can also operate as a left-back, has made ten appearances for the Scottish outfit this season in all competitions, including three outings in Europe, albeit in the qualification rounds.
He is, however, yet to grab a goal or claim an assist.
Although opportunities have recently dried up, St Johnstone chief Callum Davidson was full of praise for Devine after making his debut in July.
He said : "I thought he was excellent. All credit to Reece, that was his first senior game.
"He came up from Manchester United and was a little bit behind. But he has worked extremely hard to get better. You can see he's got ability, he's got pace. He will be a threat for us. He put in a very good performance."
Facundo Pellistri - Alaves
After joining United in October last year, Pellistri exited Old Trafford in the summer, joining Alaves on loan, in a bid to secure some regular first-team football.
So far this term, the winger, who celebrated his 20th birthday on Monday, has made 16 La Liga appearances for the Spanish club, but is yet to score or grab an assist.
Alaves have been struggling in recent weeks, failing to win any of their last five outings in La Liga.
Andreas Pereira - Flamengo
Like Pellistri, Pereira also headed abroad in search of more regular opportunities, returning to his native Brazil, joining Flamengo.
Having issued a clear message in the summer that he wants to become a regular for Brazil, Pereira had no choice but to leave on loan to secure more frequent chances. So far, his temporary switch back to his homeland has proved its weight in gold, with him producing a string of fine performances.
Pereira has scored five goals and grabbed one assist in 25 appearances.
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