Manchester United target ‘realistic’ January signings as club weigh up swoops for former star Memphis Depay from Barcelona and Bayern Munich striker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting to bolster attacking options

Manchester United are intent on bolstering their attacking options in January and are tracking both Memphis Depay and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting.

Boss Erik ten Hag wants to fill the void left by Cristiano Ronaldo’s exit in January, as the boss plots a return to the Champions League next season.

Ronaldo’s departure has left the Dutchman short of options with Marcus Rashford and the injury-plagued Anthony Martial as the only players to purposefully lead the line.

According to The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell, United have sounded out former Red Devils player Depay – currently out of favour at Barcelona – and Bayern Munich’s Choupo-Moting on a short-term loan deal.

Depay has been linked with a move back to Old Trafford after initially leaving the club for French side Lyon in 2017, following a two-year stint at the club.

The 28-year-old endured a successful spell with Lyon before moving to the Nou Camp as a free agent in 2021.

But game time has been difficult for the Netherlands forward, in particular this season, where he has made just four appearances across all competitions, due to injury and the emergence of a new-look front line of Ansu Fati, Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski.

United are also monitoring Cameroonian striker Choupo-Moting who has developed into a big game player under previous club Paris Saint-Germain and current employers Bayern.

The 33-year-old – who has played in the Premier League before with Stoke City – is famed for scoring a last minute winner for PSG against Atalanta in the 2020 Champions League quarter-final and has since gone on to score 29 goals in 74 games for Bundesliga giants Bayern.

United will fancy their chances of luring either player to Old Trafford ahead of an exciting second half of the season which could see Ten Hag achieve a number of his first-season objectives.

The Red Devils are in a rich vein of form and have won four-consecutive league games, conceding just once.

Ten Hag’s side sit fourth in the Premier League, level on points with Newcastle and four adrift of second-placed Man City.

United face Barcelona next month in the Europa League play-off round – a competition that provides another possibility of Champions League qualification which is on offer to the winners.

But the Dutch manager will not want to take his foot off the pedal and knows his forward line is one injury away from depletion.

With both targets out of contract in the summer and United beginning to find their groove, Ten Hag will be confident of adding at least one new player to his small band of attackers.