The January transfer window spells the beginning of negotiations as clubs look to improve their squad midway through the season, but Manchester United might have a close eye on actions elsewhere as they mull over their next long-term manager.
Following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's sacking towards the end of November, Mauricio Pochettino was heavily linked with the vacant post at Old Trafford before Ralf Rangnick took over on a six-month interim basis.
Despite the appointment of the 63-year-old German, the Manchester Evening News reported at the time of his arrival that the Reds were still very much in pursuit of the Paris Saint-Germain head coach, with the Parisiens said to be wanting £10m for the immediate buyout of their current boss.
His love affair with the Reds is no secret with the former Spurs boss after being earmarked as Solskjaer's replacement in 2020 after expressing his intent to take over the role a year earlier.
With the role of United managerial position potentially up for negotiations in the summer, question marks remain over who will take over as the next head coach.
And for the club, the 49-year-old's actions in January could help them determine their pursuit.
PSG lead the way in Ligue 1 and by some margin - currently 13 points, but their prized asset Kylian Mbappe is looking likely to be a free agent in the summer, and all while speculation about his manager's future rages.
How the Argentine tactician exerts his influence in the window is important as it will likely determine his motives in the summer.
Is he aiming to continue the long-term plan at the Parc des Princes and looking to extend Mbappe's deal? Or does he already have his eye in the Old Trafford dugout?
He has already made a nod towards the situation surrounding Mbappe as the speculation intensifies.
"The contractual situations affect you when you do not have the maturity to manage them. Kylian has the maturity," he said.
“The club wants him to stay a long time. It's between the two parties. We hope Kylian will continue to have the same level of performance as always."
It comes after Real Madrid made three failed attempts to prise Mbappe away in the summer and with six months remaining on his deal in his native France, it looks highly unlikely he will move away - although if PSG want to make a profit it's logical to sell now if he fails to sign along the dotted line.
Pochettino has already this season moved to deny claims about his future, insisting his focus is on the Ligue 1 side.
During the circus surrounding the vacant United position, he had to prepare for PSG's clash with Manchester City, and much of his pre-match press conference was dominated by the speculation.
"Rumours are there and we need to live with that. We are so focused, we are giving 100% to try to get our best form from the players to help us in this way, I am so happy with PSG. For tomorrow we are so focused to try and get the best result we can," he said.
"I think we cannot talk about that, my respect to my club, my respect to another man, what that club is doing is not my business. I need to be focused on Paris Saint-Germain.
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"I'm not going to make the mistake to talk. Everything we will say in a way, in the past when I was at Espanyol and my dream was to meet [Sir Alex] Ferguson, all that, I can tell now it's going to be misunderstood and out of context.
"I am so happy at PSG, I am focused to try and give my best. I was a player at PSG, I love the club, I love the fans, it's a fantastic time to be at the club.
"Football is today, it is not tomorrow. The club needs to plan and we need to plan always about what will happen tomorrow but football is about results.
"A few days ago, two years that we left Tottenham and I remember a few weeks ago in the media there were rumours linking us with another club and look what happened after. It's not about living in the past or the future.
"I think I was clear. I said to you all that my contract is until 2023. It is this season and one season more. I am really happy at Paris Saint-Germain. That is a fact. The fact is I am happy in Paris."
With the additions of Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos and Georginio Wijnaldum the plans are set as they look to end their Champions League hoodoo and continue their French dominance in just his second year since taking over from Thomas Tuchel.
Whether he's in the driving seat to take them forward after this season remains to be seen. But what is known is that he hasn't been shy to talk up the possibility of taking over at Old Trafford.
And any movement in and out of Paris could hold the key to where Pochettino's ambitions lie in the summer, either way, they will be intensely scrutinised by the Reds.
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