Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag will be hoping his side can return from the international break with a better mentality as improvement is urgently required.
With the January transfer window just around the corner, the Dutchman may be eyeing a signing or two in order to bolster his first-team squad, as there have been far too many passengers this term.
Marcus Rashford, Rasmus Hojlund, Anthony Martial and Brune Fernandes have scored just four Premier League goals between them this season and it's clear which area of the squad needs vast improvement.
Man United's plan to strengthen their attack
According to Calciomercato (via TEAMtalk), Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Erik ten Hag have been given the green light to sign Lecce forward Nikola Krstovic ahead of the January transfer window.
The Montenegro international only moved to Serie A during the summer from Dunajska Streda but has since made a big impression at Lecce, scoring four times in the Italian top flight, and this has obviously caught United’s attention.
He won't break the bank either should the Old Trafford side decide to make a more concrete move for the striker, as his valuation currently stands at around €12m (£10.5m), meaning this could prove to be a wonderful bargain.
Having already raided Serie A for Hojlund in the summer, Ten Hag could repeat this masterclass in a swoop for Krstovic.
The stats that show why Nikola Krstovic would be a good signing for Man Utd
While he may not be a marquee name, the forward certainly knows where the back of the net is, having already scored 87 professional goals in 207 matches, and if he moved to a team with a better group of players, he could certainly score more often.
It's no wonder he was dubbed as “clinical” by journalist Josh Bunting just last year and the parallels between him and Hojlund could suggest he would be another excellent signing.
The Dane also shone in Serie A having joined from a lesser-known league, managing to score nine league goals for Atalanta before securing his big-money move to Manchester.
Both players have proven to be fairly prolific, as Krstovic (a goal every 200 minutes) and Hojlund (a goal every 204 minutes) clearly have the tactical nous to score often in Italy.
The 20-year-old has yet to bag in the Premier League, yet has five goals in the Champions League for United, demonstrating his class on the highest club level there is, and once he properly finds his feet at Old Trafford, he could turn into a world-class striker.
While Krstovic may not have the same sort of potential, he has proven to be a clinical goalscorer and adjusting to Italian football isn’t easy.
There is no doubt Ten Hag needs more firepower, especially with his current options struggling in the top flight. Paying just £10.5m for Krstovic might not get the Old Trafford faithful buzzing with anticipation, but he could very well surprise a few people.
The move is low risk which could offer plenty of rewards and Ten Hag will be keeping a close eye on him over the coming weeks.
