Erling Haaland can help Manchester United change their long-term transfer strategy

Cristiano Ronaldo experiencing an uncharacteristic goal drought and Edinson Cavani's ongoing injury woes have seen Manchester United tipped to sign a striker in the summer.

Ralf Rangnick has already said that it's "obvious" United will need to strengthen their frontline options at the end of the season.

The problem is that United's summer wish list may well need to be amended if the club fail to secure a place in the top four.

Borussia Dortmund hitman Erling Haaland is one of those to have been linked with an Old Trafford switch, though it's difficult to imagine him completing such a move without the lure of Champions League football.

The MEN reported in December that Rangnick had held talks with Haaland’s father, Alf-Inge, in an attempt to convince his son to move to the red half of Manchester.

However, there's no getting away from the fact United aren't the dominant force they once were and teams like Real Madrid will likely hold the upper hand when looking to sign Haaland given they're in a far healthier position to challenge for the top honours.

Unless Rangnick's men can somehow win the Champions League, United will have gone five years without winning a trophy by the end of this season.

When you're a young player with the world at your feet, you have to wonder how much weight a club's former glories actually hold when considering your next move.

This probably all sounds very negative and there's still always a chance that Haaland could be enticed by one of the biggest clubs in the world, but it's important that fans are realistic.

Anyway, missing out on his signing might not actually be a bad thing.

Fans have grown tired of United always targeting high-profile players purely to please supporters.

Just because a