Jose Mourinho is embarking on his first season in charge at Man United, but it has been far from plain sailing for the former Chelsea boss.
His United side made an excellent start to the new season – winning their first league three games – but defeat to neighbours Man City at the start of September has sparked a run of just one win in four Premier League matches.
The Red Devils also made a slow start to their Europa League campaign, losing at Feyenoord, but they got their first win of the competition against Zorya Luhansk a few weeks ago.
United’s unspectacular start, which sees them sixth in the league, has increased speculation about who Mourinho may look to sign in the January transfer window.
Here is the Portuguese manager’s dream FRONT FOUR, which includes one key target…
Marcus Rashford
Photo: Marc Atkins / Offside.
What a player this young man is, and what a player he may go on to become if given first team football at Old Trafford.
The 18-year-old has not looked back since netting a brace on his United debut against Midtjylland last season, and has already proven that he’s got a big-match temperament, such were his classy finishes against Arsenal and Man City last season.
Having already made his debut and scored his first goal for the England senior team, Rashford is an exciting prospect who is playing without fear – he will flourish in this United side as a result.
Anthony Martial
Photo: Marc Atkins / Offside.
French international Anthony Martial may be going through a slight dip in form at the moment, but his class has been evident since his move to Manchester in 2015.
The 20-year-old came to England with a big price tag and big expectations, but he soon lived up to them, netting 17 times in his debut season at Old Trafford.
With an ability to play as both a winger and as a forward, Martial is an important member of the United team, and his technical ability and pace will cause Premier League defences all sorts of problems in the coming years.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Photo: Simon Stacpoole / Offside.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has won the league title at all but one club he has been at, and there’s no reason to suggest that he’s not going to do the same at Old Trafford.
The Swedish star, who signed on a free from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer, has already proved to many exactly why he’s regarded as one of the best forwards in the world.
The 35-year-old scored five goals in his first five games for United, including an excellent volley against Man City, but his all-round play has also given Mourinho’s men a boost after last season’s struggles.
Ibrahimovic has given defences plenty of problems so far this season and, in this quartet, he’d continue to do the same.
Antoine Griezmann
Photo: Marc Atkins / Offside.
Could Antoine Griezmann be the next world-class forward to move to Old Trafford?
The French international has been repeatedly linked with a move to the Premier League over the last few months, and it’s easy to see why the likes of United and Chelsea want the 25-year-old at their club.
He scored 57 goals in his first two seasons at Atletico Madrid, and then was one of the players of the European Championships last summer, where his six goals, including a brace against Germany in the semi-final, helped the hosts reach the final.
Griezmann’s versatility could see him take up a number of attacking roles at Old Trafford, but a partnership alongside Ibrahimovic could strike fear in many a defender’s heart.