When a new manager arrives at a club they often like the idea of having a clean slate and, as far as the Manchester United attack is concerned, that could be the case next summer.
The identity of that manager remains unclear but whether it's Mauricio Pochettino, Erik ten Hag — or even Ralf Rangnick — they will have a degree of freedom to reshape the United front line in their own image.
That might have seemed unlikely given the proliferation of forwards at the club at the start of this season and the fierce competition for places, but it looks increasingly likely that a number of them will be leaving the club by the summer.
There look to be two certainties when it comes to summer departures and that's Jesse Lingard and Edinson Cavani. Both are out of contract in June and Lingard, 29, will depart to pursue first-team football.
Cavani will be 35 by the time his contract expires. He needed persuasion to commit to an extra year but has found himself on the fringes this season following the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo and clearly doesn't envisage another year in Manchester.
Paul Pogba is another player who could leave on a free transfer, although with a little more than six months remaining on his deal his future remains as unclear as ever. The 28-year-old, who is currently out injured, is likely to see how the market looks in January when he will be free to sign a pre-contract agreement with an overseas club. Pogba has spent most of the previous year playing on the left-wing, so has to be considered a member of the attack.
One player who isn't out of contract but has signalled a desire to leave is Anthony Martial. His chances are at a premium now and his agent Philippe Lamboley has made it clear he will look to leave in January. Finding a suitor to take on his wages after a poor run of form stretching back over a year might a big problem for United and the player.
Then there is Ronaldo. He won't be leaving this summer but he will turn 37 in February and he can't go on forever. At least logic suggests he can't go on forever.
If Lingard, Cavani, Pogba and Martial all leave by the summer, and we leave Ronaldo in his own category thanks to his advancing years, then United are down to Bruno Fernandes, Mason Greenwood, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho as their long-term attackers.
Only having that quartet — and Ronaldo for now — should give a new manager plenty of freedom to rebuild the attack in his own image. How many players are required will depend on the formation the manager wants to play, but at least one striker has to come in, probably two once Ronaldo does go, while a couple of wingers will be required as well.
Some of the names of potential targets will be obvious, such as Erling Haaland and Dusan Vlahovic at centre forward, but it will also allow a new manager to prioritise players he knows will fit into his system.
The players that remain — particularly in Rashford, Greenwood and Sancho — are young enough to make significant contributions to United for years to come. Sancho could be the starting right-winger for years and Greenwood could well emerge as the centre forward to inherit Ronaldo's place.
But crucially there will be gaps in the squad and that is what every new manager wants, enough room to put their own imprint on a group of players. There's a core of world-class players in the United squad, but come the summer there could also be room for new additions, which will make the Old Trafford job an even more attractive proposition.
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