Manchester United have an obvious £8m option to help solve their squad issue
With the new Premier League campaign officially up and running, Manchester United know time is against them in their quest to complete their transfer business.
United increased their tally of new additions to four in midweek, landing defenders Noussair Mazraoui and Matthijs de Ligt from Bayern Munich.
With less than a fortnight to go until the window closes, United are understood to be focusing on strengthening their midfield options. Paris Saint-Germain's Manuel Ugarte remains a top target and there is growing confidence a deal can be done.
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As much as it is necessary for the Reds to bring in a midfielder before the bell, there also needs to be a much-needed increase in departures. Aaron Wan-Bissaka became the fifth headline departure from Old Trafford in midweek, joining West Ham United, but more are needed.
United's hierarchy planned to oversee a squad exodus this summer but that has not come to fruition. The exits of Mason Greenwood and Wan-Bissaka have been the headline acts, but United need to try and raise more funds.
Selling Victor Lindelof and Scott McTominay, who are both facing the likelihood of a reduction in minutes this season, would represent United's best hope of generating some much-needed cash out of the players they would be happy to sell before the deadline.
However, few need to leave United more than Facundo Pellistri. Since joining the club from Uruguayan outfit Penarol in 2020, he has played just 25 times, failed to score and been sent out on loan twice.
If his cameo appearance at right-back in the Community Shield at Wembley last