Erik ten Hag is about to complete the first part of the Manchester United rebuild

Two down and one to go. That one is a No.9. Once Erik ten Hag has a new centre forward, he will have a Manchester United XI he is completely content with.

Andre Onana, Lisandro Martinez, Casemiro, Mason Mount and Antony are Ten Hag's signings, Diogo Dalot, Luke Shaw and Marcus Rashford have signed renewals on Ten Hag's watch, Bruno Fernandes is about to be officially recognised as captain and Ten Hag has rhapsodized about Raphael Varane more than most United players.

It is not a coincidence the last United manager who assembled a team in his own image after only two transfer windows was also Dutch. Louis van Gaal was backed with 13 signings in his first three windows and still fatefully ended it short of a striker.

That cost Van Gaal after a season where United finished back in the Premier League top four and supporters sensed a title challenge. United won only half of their 38 Premier League games in 2015-16 and scored a dismal 49 goals.

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Watching United in their first two friendlies, they are like a deluxe Van Gaal side: dominant in possession, more proactive but still impotent.

"Three massive chances from the start but that is straight, the criticism, you have to score, you have to net," Ten Hag said. "That was already our problem last year and we have to realise that, we have to be more ruthless and clinical in those situations."

United and agency sources insist it is a matter of time until they sign a new striker. They have to. In the two halves the senior squad members have started in so far this pre-season, United have not scored.

John Murtough has spent extensive time with officials from Atalanta to discuss Rasmus Hojlund, who has held video calls with Ten Hag.