Manchester United were already short on attacking options and now they are down to the barest of bones.
It could reasonably be argued losing the disruptive and declining Cristiano Ronaldo will be a net positive regardless of the shortage it has put them in but United undoubtedly need reinforcements up front. Erik ten Hag now only has two central attacking options at his disposal.
Marcus Rashford has been back to his best this season firing himself to the top of the scoring charts with eight goals, double his closest competitor, but still seems most comfortable on the left flank. Anthony Martial also looks to have rediscovered his confidence but sadly fitness has remained an issue. Three separate injuries already have reduced him to just seven games and he can't be relied upon for the slog to come.
In Ten Hag United have finally found a man who is taking them in the right direction but if they want to ensure his first season is a success then he needs support in the January transfer market. He needs a striker. Though bringing an end to the five-year trophy drought would be great, the biggest barometer of success will be Champions League qualification.
While no one can predict which teams will cope well and which will struggle once club football resumes after the World Cup, there are already several contenders for the four places. United are in fifth at present, three points off and a game in hand on those above them, but Newcastle United are now serious challengers while Liverpool and Chelsea have been underperforming. It will be even harder to fight them all off with such little firepower.
But, United ideally want to delay the second phase of their rebuild until the end of the season. Nearly £250million was spent in the summer and John Murtough has already made it clear they don't want to splash the cash again in January. It's understood United are drafting a short list of strikers for the summer, with Napoli frontman Victor Osimhen one potential target.
The Nigerian hitman would likely cost around £ 100million and there's no chance of getting him midseason anyway with Napoli on the title charge in Serie A. Targets of similar quality will probably also be unattainable. Which is quite a bind. United need a striker to give them a better chance of finishing in the top four, can't sign one to the level they would like in January but then if they don't qualify for the Champions League they can kiss goodbye to signing Osimhen or anyone of his quality regardless.
They need to do something and that's where a familiar face could offer an ideal solution: Memphis Depay.
Things didn't go well for the Dutch dynamo when he was first in Manchester as he lasted just 18 months and his sky-high potential went unrealised. But since leaving for Lyon in 2017 he has gone on to mature into a skillful, versatile and potent forward. One capable of playing anywhere in attack, of leading his side as captain and creating goals as well as scoring them. 178 games at Lyon yielded 76 goals and 55 assists, earning him a dream move to Barcelona.
But as has boringly been the case with the Catalonians in recent times, like a spoiled child, they are now bored of the shiny new toy they cried for in favour of a newer one. Reports suggest Memphis is unwanted at Camp Nou to make room for yet more ludicrous spending. United could offer a deal to suit all parties.
The club could offer to take Memphis off their hands in a loan move until the end of the season, freeing up Barcelona's budget and arming themselves with a decent goal scorer as a stop-gap option. It would also be a boon to Memphis as it gets him out of a place he isn't wanted, puts him under the stewardship of a quality coach who could get the best out of him and hand him a chance to gain redemption after his failed first stint.
If Memphis does succeed, his contract at Barcelona expires in the summer and he would then be available on a free to sign permanently.
It would be an elegant and cheap solution for United to add some much-needed depth and goals to their front line, hopefully, enough to propel them to a top-four finish and place them in a position to challenge for the highest level of forwards in the transfer window. All this without upending their planned strategy.
United were monitoring Memphis' situation in the summer and January would be the perfect time to turn that intrigue into action.