Erik ten Hag has already made it perfectly clear that Wout Weghorst ticks all his boxes as a striker.
The Manchester Evening News reported on Saturday that United are advancing with a potential loan move for Weghorst. The 30-year-old Burnley forward, currently on loan at Besiktas, is being eyed by the club as they look to find a short-term solution to their striker crisis following the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo.
After spending £225million in the summer transfer window, Ten Hag has been warned against a repetition of the kind of expenditure that saw six new signings arrive at Old Trafford before the September 1 deadline - regardless of the £16m wage bill reduction that came with Ronaldo's exit.
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Although the news caught many off-guard, there are plenty of merits behind the Weghorst deal. It is easy to point to his two goals in 20 appearances during his time in the Premier League with Burnley, but in doing so the wider picture is missed.
The 6ft 6in (1.97m) forward has scored eight goals and provided four assists in 16 league appearances for Besiktas this season. During the World Cup, Weghorst made headlines as he scored two late goals during the Netherlands' thrilling quarter-final with Argentina to take the game to extra-time and eventually penalties. Despite Louis van Gaal's side losing on spot-kicks, Weghorst made no mistake from 12-yards out with his attempt.
No United forward currently stands taller than 5ft 11in, meaning that Weghorst would - quite literally - tower over the rest of Ten Hag's front-line. Although easy to label him simply as a target man, his intricate play with the ball at his feet is something that the United manager knows is vital to his tactical set-up.
Ten Hag's first managerial position saw him coach Dutch side Go Ahead Eagles in the 2012/13 season. During his one and only campaign with the club, he led the team to their first promotion in 17 years.
Marnix Kolder, who led the line for the Go Ahead Eagles under Ten Hag, knows just how instrumental a role he played as the side's target man under the current United manager.
"I was the ‘escape’," he told The Independent. "When the ball was pressured at the back, the long ball from the keeper or the central defender came to me.
"I don’t know the word in English - a coat stand? The 'kapstok'. It’s a typical word in Dutch. The big person they can play the balls to, then you play to the midfielders or to the side."
Kolder averaged a goal every other game under Ten Hag despite being older than Weghorst is now. And this tactical set-up was not just a one-off at Go Ahead Eagles.
At FC Utretcht, Ten Hag utilised the former West Ham United striker Sebastian Haller as as tall, powerful focal point. At Ajax, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Kasper Dolberg - although very different players technically - carried out a similar function for the now-United head coach when leading the line for his side before he was reunited once again with Haller.
Being able to link up play and bring in those around you is a trait that Ten Hag loves from his centre forwards. The United manager will be looking for Weghorst to use his physicality and technique to involve the likes of Marcus Rashford and Antony on either wing as much as possible.
Although there is no suggestion that Anthony Martial is set to lose his starting place in a sudden tactical shake-up, the arrival of Weghorst would offer United a new attacking dynamic and provide healthy competition for the Frenchman.
A deal for Weghorst - although not complete - has caught many off-guard. But when you look beneath the surface, the Burnley man has all the qualities that Ten Hag is looking for.
And if anyone can get the best out of Weghorst, it's Ten Hag.
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