Manchester United shouldn’t have signed the player who could save their season

It's not quite Europa League or bust for Manchester United.

Defending the FA Cup crown would see their trophy cabinet furnished for the third season running and secure qualification for the Europa League next term - a decent achievement from a side staring down the barrel of a bottom half Premier League finish.

But dining at Europe's top table should be the aim and United's only chance of qualifying for next season's Champions League is by winning the 2024/25 edition of Europe's secondary club competition.

That's a truly damning indictment of a club of United's stature, yet it would be a decent achievement from a side dubbed "the worst team maybe in the history of Manchester United" by their manager just 18 days ago.

Once the magic 40-point mark is reached United's league campaign is as good as over. All that will be left to determine is will this be a trophyless season, will FA Cup glory secure Europa League football again or could they possibly even snatch Champions League football via the Europa League?

If it is to be the latter then Ruben Amorim could have an unlikely weapon at his disposal.

Plenty of column inches have been dedicated to United's toothless attack. Strikers Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund have a meagre five goals between them in their combined total of 43 league appearances this season.

Zirkzee's only United goal away from league action came in the 4-3 League Cup defeat to Tottenham, and while Hojlund has failed to open his account in England's two domestic cup competitions this term, his record in Europe has been solid.

Granted, the Europa League isn't stacked with quality sides - the Premier League's 13th and 14th-placed sides being top of the bookmakers' list of favourites to win the competition